I could disown all their kids because they carry a Darling name. Devlin could be a stranger I see at the gym and nod as I walk by. Crystal could be another woman waiting in line for concessions with her kids at the football games, even if she doesn’t carry their blood. She carries the name.
But she’s not the one who would hurt most from that. She’s already proven she can live without us, that she’s fine on her own. She flourished.
We’re the ones who fell apart without her.
I look at King.
He jerks his chin at me in a slight nod, his eyes hooded as he watches me. “It’s your family now, Royal,” he says quietly. “I don’t live here.”
I sit with that for a minute, the weight and responsibility falling officially onto my shoulders. He told me to watch out for the twins when he left for New York two and a half years ago, and I’ve been learning the business from Dad since I turned eighteen. But this is the first time it’s been solely mine.
Dad’s dead.
This is my family now, my business, my empire.
It’s my choice whether to accept them or not. My brother is showing me the utmost respect, a gift of value beyond comprehension, by deferring to me. He’s letting me make a choice that affects the whole family, showing that he trusts me with the responsibly of doing what’s right even after all the wrongs I’ve committed. He’s also telling me that he’s my brother first and will have my back no matter what I decide.
And in return, I know I have to give him what he needs, too—what everyone needs. For three years, this wedge of guilt and blame has torn us apart. I won’t add more to it, widening the distance between us just when we’re made progress, taken steps across the gulf between us, slowly moving back toward each other.
At last, I give my brother a solemn nod, knowing the weight of my next words.
Then I turn to Devlin Darling, the man who took my twin away from me.
“You can stay.”
His lips tighten, and he gives a quick nod to show he understands and accepts. “Then it’s time to start talking about how to fix this town.”
“I’m not interested in fixing this town,” I say. “I’m leaving when Harper graduates. I have a business to run and a better school waiting. Duke is graduating and leaving, too. Crystal will be the only Dolce left in Faulkner by summer.”
“And what about this town?” Devlin asks.
“It’s yours,” I say. “Take it.”
thirty-three
Harper Apple
“How does it feel having your sister home?” I ask, hopping up beside Royal in the open back of the Rover.
It’s only been a day, but he seems to have calmed down at least enough to want to go to the river and fuck. We fogged up the windows inside, and now we’re letting the car air out and having a smoke in the cold wetness of the winter afternoon.
“It’s… okay,” he says. “Different.”
“You okay?” I ask, accepting the joint he hands to me.
“It’s not really like having her back,” he says. “She’s not the same person.”
“She’s probably thinking the same about you,” I say, taking his hand and linking my fingers with his.
“Yeah,” he says, retrieving the joint with his free hand. “I guess so. It’s been almost three years. She’s not a kid anymore, the innocent little sister I have to protect. She’s a wife now—a fucking mom.”
“Maybe that was Crystal Dolce,” I say. “And this is Crystal Darling.”
“What about you?” he asks, turning to study my face. “Are you going to stop being a bad Apple one day and be a Dolce girl forever?”
“I don’t know,” I say lightly. “Maybe I’ll keep my name. I kind of like it.”
“The hell you will,” he says, his grip on my hand tightening possessively. “I want the world to know you’re mine. If I have to carve my name over every inch of your skin, I’ll do it.”