here too, except I didn’t think Kane would ever be comfortable with letting anyone else dictate his space.
Perhaps Adrian had inherited his mom’s flair for design.
The desire to confide in Kane whipped through me, and I lowered my voice. “I’ve never been happier.” My tone was almost confessional, but I didn’t want to jinx it by proclaiming my happiness too loudly.
The doorbell rang as Kane pushed my coffee mug toward me, and he grinned. “Probably something else Adrian’s ordered online. I swear he gets a different delivery every day.”
He wandered just out of sight and I heard him pull the door open before he exclaimed in surprise and our mother stormed into his kitchen. Her eyes blazed with anger, and her fists were clenched. Every muscle in her body radiated tension and aggression.
“Good, you’re both here.” Although she sounded anything but pleased.
“Why are you here?” Kane slipped into his protective role, automatically positioning himself between the two of us. “You cut me off and disinherited me as far as I recall, or don’t you remember?”
She huffed and jabbed her forefinger in Kane’s direction. “I was bluffing, and you know it. You’ve simply been punishing me for months. Well, it’s time for the tantrum to end, Kane.” She spat the words then turned to me.
Revulsion flowed through me. Being with Leo again after all this time had stirred all of the childhood memories I’d done such a good job of keeping a lid on, but now I looked at my mother and wondered why I’d been so happy to entertain her ridiculous notions of dinners where she’d partner Kane or me up with willing male victims who met my parents’ definition of acceptable.
I’d tried so badly to keep her on my side, always looking to secure her approval and even love—no matter whether she flopped over which of us was her golden boy of the insults I weathered.
But now things were different.
I held up my hands. “Thinking about it, I think I was disowned first, Kane. It was when I refused to go to college, remember?”
Mom took a deep breath, like she was actively trying to calm her breathing, which was new. Usually she just pretended to feel faint and had Dad finish her argument.
“I’ve been trying to reach you because…” She hitched a breath. “Because your father hasn’t been doing too well, and I think you need to pay him a visit.” She choked the last few words out and blinked rapidly.
Alarm coursed through me. Mom never cried, so whatever was up with Dad, it was serious.
“I know you don’t think we’re good parents, but your dad needs you.”
Kane glanced at me, and I shrugged. Mom’s attempt at humility hadn’t fooled me, and the last place I wanted to go was back to my childhood home - but I wasn’t about to punish a dying man with the grudges he’d helped foster. My conscience wouldn’t allow it.
I looked longingly at my coffee as Kane spoke.
“We’ll come now.” He grabbed his coat from the small entranceway closet that was just in view. “I’ll drive us.” He looked at me for confirmation and I just nodded before I took a quick swig of my coffee.
“Yeah. We’ll follow you.” I looked at Mom and she looked like she might try to disagree but she eventually just nodded.
“All right, then. I’ll see the two of you back at the house.” She left the kitchen and the front door opened and closed.
Kane and I waited to hear that confirmation that she was gone before we exchanged glances.
“What do you think’s going on?” Kane rubbed his hand over his face and let out a sigh.
“I have no idea. She’s made it sound like he’s dying.”
Kane tightened his jaw “I guess we’d better go see, then.”
We drew up in front of my parents’ huge house in an exclusive area of Lakeshore, and while I’d expected to find curtains drawn and a general air of mourning and somberness hovering around the place, everything looked normal.
We walked inside, and fresh flowers stood on the table in the middle of the large entrance hall as a maid worked on polishing one of the long, sweeping bannisters. I’d expected a faint smell of disinfectant, maybe even the quiet whir of machines—something hospital-like—but everything looked, smelled, and sounded the same as always.
Kane glanced at me, and I shrugged. I had no idea what was going on either.
“He’s upstairs.” Mom stood on the bottom step, her stance familiar and intention clear as she