“I’m fine, Eloise. Everything is fine.”
“Not, it’s not!” Sian whisper-shouted, obviously not wanting to wake Sam. But her voice crept up to normal levels as she spoke. “You and I need to talk, twin.”
“Nothing to talk about,” Griff eyed her, noticing the militant look in her eye. “Iamfine.”
“Bullshit!” Sian replied, leaning forward. She caught his eye and Griff saw she was clear-eyed and determined. Strong...
His heart surged with pride.
“Look, I know that I haven’t been well for a long time and I accept I have issues and always will. But the new medication I’m on is helping, a lot. I don’t feel as disconnected as I once did. A few years ago, I didn’t care whether I lived or died, whether you or Sam or Jan lived or died. I might feel like that again in the future, and I really am going to work hard not to feel like that, but today I feel like myself.”
Griff smiled at her. “I’m glad you are feeling stronger, twin. You and Sam are my priority, you know that.”
“I do.”
Good, conversation over. Time to get another beer—
“But Sam and I aren’t the only people in this family who deserve to be happy,” Sian told him. She smiled as Jan sat on the arm of her chair, their older sister silently offering Sian her support. “You deserve to be happy, too, Griff.”
Griff thought about protesting but didn’t have the energy. Happiness...it was such an intangible emotion. The closest he’d come to the emotion were those few nights he’d spent with Kinga...
Why did everything come back to her?
“I want to set the record straight, Griff,” Sian stated, her tone and expression resolute. “I want to tell the world my story, the whole story.”
Not happening. Not ever.
Griff looked from Jan to Pete, and neither looked surprised at Sian’s announcement. So, this wasn’t the first time this issue had been discussed.
“No,” Griff declared. “Not a chance in hell.”
“I can do it with or without you, Griff.”
Her warning shocked him, causing him to rise abruptly. Sam tipped to the side and Griff caught him before he woke up and gently lowered the boy to the cushion. When he was certain Sam was comfortable, Griff walked over to the railing, gratefully snagging the beer Pete held out to him.
“I don’t understand why you want to expose yourself, Sian. Why you’d want to undo years and years of hard work,” Griff muttered. Years ofhishard work.
She hit him with a clear-eyed look. “I want to tell the truth, the real truth. I want to set myself, and you, free. I still have a voice, a loud voice, and I can be an advocate for people with mental health issues. But to use that voice, to do some good, I need to be honest. Imustbe honest. And so do you... The world needs to know why you did what you did, that all your crap was to take the focus off me. I needed your help back then, I don’t need it as much now. I’m stronger, better,bolder. If we tell the truth, the weight will be lifted off both of us. You can reclaim your name—”
“I don’t care what the world thinks about me!” Griff told her. Outside this group, and Stan and Ava, he only cared about the thoughts and feelings of one person, justone.
He just wanted to tell Kinga, not the entire freakin’ world.
“The press will go insane, you will be stalked and hounded.” Griff pushed his hand through his hair. “You won’t be able to move without being ambushed by a reporter with a camera.”
This was such a bad idea. He couldn’t believe that Jan and Pete supported this BS.
Sian shrugged. “We’ve discussed that. The ranch is completely secure and so is this island. I’ve spoken to my therapist, Griff, and I intend to be very careful about how I wade into this unknown territory. I mostly intend to work via social media, and I will be extremely cautious about any public appearances. Sam, his happiness, safety and security, will always be my top priority. Everything I do will be carefully vetted and screened by my therapist and my security team.”
“You have a security team?” he asked, sending Pete a what-the-hell look.
“No, but I will get one,” Sian told him, looking earnest. She stood up and walked over to him and placed her hand on his bare forearm. “I want to reclaim my life, Griff. Ineedto reclaim it.”
He didn’t like it at all. “Okay, I hear you. But you don’t need to explain the past. Just put out a press release saying you have had difficulties and that you intend to be an advocate for people with mental health struggles.”
“And be accused of being just another celebrity who won’t get her hands or reputation dirty?” Sian scoffed and shook her head. “No, I either do this properly or I don’t do it at all.”
This was Sian—feisty, determined and difficult to sway once she’d decided on a course of action. Griff pulled his eyes off her stubborn face to look at the trio watching them interact.