“Fucking Toby,” I mutter, combing my fingers through my hair as I back up toward my bedroom.
“It’s time to pull your head out of your arse, big brother. I know it hurts, trust me, I do. But he wouldn’t want this,” she says, gesturing to my flat.
Fuck. Why do those words hit so much harder when they’re said by my little sister?
“I know,” I mutter quietly. “Don’t eat all the croissants,” I warn before heading back to my room to find some clothes.
“I can’t promise anything.”
I walk into my bedroom with the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders.
How I’ve treated Calli over the past couple of weeks has been unforgivable. The way I spoke to her after discovering what has been going on with her and Daemon… well, she has every right to never speak to me again.
But here she is. Okay, under Toby’s intrusion, but still, she was well within her right to tell him to fuck off.
I drag on a pair of sweats and hoodie, aware that I will have to go out there and figure out a way to make it up to her.
If that’s even possible.
With a heavy sigh, I head back in the hope she hasn’t already demolished the pastries.
Her eyes track me as I make my way over and fall onto the sofa beside her.
“I’m sorry, Calli.”
Her eyes soften as she studies me.
“If he’s it for you, you know I’ll support you all the way.”
It fucking pains me to say it, because all I’ve ever wanted for her is a nice, danger-free, somewhat boring man for her. Pretty much the opposite of Daemon. But I’m pretty sure it’s a bit late for all those hopes and dreams now. She’s fucking moved in with him.
Her eyes get a little glassy and her bottom lip trembles before she launches herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck and holding me tight.
I return her embrace as she sniffles against my neck.
“Dude, don’t cry on me. You know how uncomfortable that makes me.”
“Suck it up,” she whimpers, her grip tightening. “I’ve missed you.”
“Fuck. Me too, Cal. Me too.”
“Everything is going to be okay, you know,” she murmurs after long silent seconds. “We’ve just got to stick together.”
“Yeah,” I breathe, thinking of the woman who’s been left behind in all this. “You spoken to Mum?”
“Nope. Not since I moved out. You?”
I shake my head.
“You think she’s forgotten we exist?”
“Cal, if I hadn’t seen photographs of her pregnant with both of us then I wouldn’t believe she was our mother.”
“What did he see in her?”
“I don’t know. But I suspect it was hiding between her thighs.”
“Ugh, Nico,” she complains, finally sitting back, but not before she slaps my shoulder.