“When are you going over there?”
“Tomorrow. I’ll see her after the race.”
“The race?” His face lifts, and his eyes blaze. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re racing again?”
I wince. Shit, I forgot he didn’t know about this. “It’s complicated.”
“He’s racing to get money for your mom’s medical bills,” Kayla says.
The silence spreading between us is hot and stretched thin like a soap bubble.
“You’re giving them money?” Raine’s voice rises, incredulous. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“Her. I’m giving her money. For the doctor.” I glare at him. “What would you have me do? Let her die?”
“Christ, Shun. Are you sure Dad isn’t getting the money?”
“Dammit, no. I’d never give him a cent. I’ve been paying the doctor directly or giving the money to Mom.”
He nods. “Good.” He looks like he wants to rant some more but doesn’t. “Yeah, that’s good.”
I’m pissed at him for telling me what to do, when he hasn’t bothered to even check on Mom until now. And I’m so fucking happy to see him, I can’t stand it.
“So you’re the famous Raine,” Kayla says, and I pull her closer and dump her on my lap. She laughs, and I soak in the sound, letting it relax me.
“Famous?” He quirks a brow at me.
“Ocean can’t stop talking about you. How he wished you’d talk to him, visit him, how you banded together to survive when you were little.”
Raine’s eyes clear, his brows shooting up, and he looks a lot like the kid he was back then. “He does?”
“I missed you, asshole.” I wrap my arms around Kayla and inhale her scent. “I failed you. I fucked up your life, and I’m s—”
“Don’t.” He winces. “Dammit, Shun.” He stops, breathes in. “Blue. I was an asshole to you, and I know it. I was so pissed with you when you sent me away. I was lonely, and so damn scared.” He snorts, rubs at his eyes. “I hated you because you stayed home, and I was shipped off like an orphan. Like I didn’t matter, you know?”
“Shit.” I clench my hands on Kayla’s waist, preparing to lift her off me and go hug him again. Not a very manly thing to do, but hey, he’s my little brother, and I fucking hurt him. Bad. “You mattered more than anyone else. Don’t you see? I wished I could have left, too. But our aunt would only take one of us. So I knew it had to be you.”
“Holy crap, you guys.” Kayla slips from my lap before I can stop her and pulls on my hand until I get up, wondering what she’s doing.
“What is she doing?” Raine asks.
I shrug.
She drags me to the couch and pushes me down next to Raine. Then she kneels at our feet and takes our hands, clasps them together. Her eyes are wet again, and I want to dry her tears and ask what is wrong, but she doesn’t give me time for it.
“Hug,” she says, her expression determined. “You went through so much, both of you, and Raine, if by now you don’t know your brother loves you more than he loves himself, then you’re an idiot. So…” She presses our hands together. “Hug. Big bear hug. Go on.”
Raine’s mouth purses, then twitches. He catches my eye and I snort. Then we’re chuckling, and hugging and it feels good, so fucking good to have my brother back.
Slender arms wrap around us both, and Kayla says, “This is more like it,” and laughs with us.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kayla
I sleep curled in the crook of Ocean’s arm, his warm body pressed to mine. I sleep and dream of cars crashing into walls and exploding, of fire and black smoke and burning heat.
When I open my eyes, he’s turned toward me, stroking my side, a pensive expression on his handsome face. He’s still wearing the T-shirt I made him.