One More Time - Louisa George Page 0,53

that telepathy thing going but they did have some weird mutual understanding. ‘I don’t know if that’s possible, Mitch.’

‘I think you do.’ Mitch bumped against him in a kind of friendly nudge. ‘That’s okay, you know. You can love someone.’

Max didn’t want to. Had never wanted to, not if his emotions paid such a price. He’d been running on empty for so long. ‘Can I? Can we? After everything that happened to us?’

‘Well, I do. I love Jodi and Jamie more than anything. Loving someone involves risk. You have to put yourself on the line. And God knows whether they’re going to be here tomorrow—you and I both know the realities there. But it’s worth every second you spend with them anyway.’ And that was about the most honest thing Mitch had said to him in nearly thirty years. Decades of pain welled up in Max’s chest until he could barely breathe. ‘But what happens if it falls apart? What if they…you know...?’

‘What if they leave?’ Mitch dragged his chair across the linoleum to face Max. ‘Well, you’ll survive. You will. You’re strong. You’re a Maitland, for God’s sake.’

A Maitland. Brothers. Tied together by blood, the same DNA. Identical. But so many differences for so long.

Silence stretched across the gap between them, wound through the corridor, filled the spaces. And along with it came an immense need to talk to Mitch. Really talk. The way he’d wanted to since…since forever. ‘I missed you like hell, you know. After they took me away.’

If he was surprised at this admission, Mitchell didn’t let it show on his face. His gaze dropped to the paper cup in his hand. ‘You didn’t even look back. I thought you were glad to be leaving me behind.’

What? ‘Glad?’ It was so far from the truth it was laughable. Thick emotion filled Max’s throat. Sucking in oxygen, he forced words out. ‘Dumbass. I was your big brother. I was supposed to stop it happening, and I couldn’t. It was bad enough that I failed you. I couldn’t look back and let you see me cry, too. What would you think of me then?’

‘That you cared.’

Holy hell. ‘You thought I didn’t care, Mitch?’

‘I was six. I didn’t exactly rationalise it. Everyone was leaving, and you didn’t seem to kick up a fuss. Then there was all that competitive stuff. If it hadn’t been for the spectre of your success, I’d have been happy. Especially since you didn’t seem to care about me. I hated it, and in a screwed-up kind of logic ended up hating you too.’ He paused. Breathed. ‘And then there was Jodi...’ Mitch’s gaze hit him. Honest. Sincere. And filled with the same kind of feeling Max had churning round his gut. Something like, an apology. A need to make things right. Mitch smiled. ‘I love her. Honestly. I wasn’t trying to play her to get at you. It wasn’t a game to me.’

Max shrugged as he heard what he’d always known but had chosen not to believe. ‘Yeah. I know that now. Didn’t seem like that at the time, though.’

‘Guess we need to grow up, right?’

‘Yeah.’ Taking a chance, Max stuck out his hand and Mitchell grabbed it. They hung on, way too long. Like two idiots.

Pretty momentous. This would be where girls hugged or something. They weren’t there yet, but it was ground-breaking Maitland history.

Max’s heart squeezed with relief. A stupid stinging sensation hit his eyes as he looked into his brother’s. They dropped their hands. Looked away. At the floor. At their feet.

But Max noticed the smile on his brother’s face was as broad as his own.

Another silence followed, this time a more friendly one.

Eventually Mitch leaned across. ‘The other day, when you were talking about Fred, you mentioned something about stuff happening. You want...?’ Turning his palms up, Mitch offered Max his chance to explain.

But Max had shared enough today. ‘Nah.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yeah. Long time ago. Best forgotten.’

‘Maybe one day, right?’

‘Maybe.’ Goddamn, would that lump in his throat go?

One day he’d tell his brother the truth about the regular beatings, the pressure he’d had to excel, how much he’d wanted to be part of Mitchell’s family, how jealousy had eaten away at him and turned into hate.

But for now it was enough his brother had asked.

Suddenly Max had to move, walk, find some space. Breathe. For so long he’d wanted to end that rift between them. To tell the truth, finally.

Yeah, the truth was he’d missed and loved his brother. And he