That night we made love, and then fell asleep in each other’s arms. When morning came, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. As we stood in front of his truck, guilt filled me up inside.
“I’m sorry I can’t drive you to the airport. I wish I was better than this. I wish I didn’t have all of my issues.” What was wrong with me? I should’ve been able to do it. I should’ve been able to get into the truck and take him to the airport, like a normal person. I wished I could’ve been my old, normal self again.
He leaned in and kissed my lips and then my forehead. “You’ll get there, Kennedy,” he repeated like the previous night about my novels. “One day at a time.”
When he drove off, I already began to miss him, and I selfishly started counting down the hours until he’d be back.
28
Jax
There was no way to get around the fact that my brother Derek was very well off. He was a successful businessman who worked his ass off throughout the years to climb the corporate ladder. If you’d asked me what he did exactly, I’d shrug the hell out of my shoulders, but I knew he made a good living doing it.
As he pulled up to the Chicago O’hare International Airport to pick me up in his BMW, I was reminded just how well he’d been doing.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite little brother,” Derek smirked, hopping out of his car. He walked over to me, placed his hands on my shoulders, and shook his head. “You’re looking bigger than the last time I saw you. You’re going to make me have to get in the gym and start pumping some iron.”
“If you did that, you might not fit into your designer suits anymore,” I joked.
“That’s what tailors and alterations are for, brother.”
He pulled me into a hug, and I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t feel good. It always felt good to touch down in Chicago to see Derek. Sometimes, it felt like I was seeing Mom, too, looking at his face. She would’ve been so proud of the man he’d become.
After we broke up our hug, I was shocked when a woman climbed out of the passenger seat of his car. She was a very pretty girl with the brightest smile I’d ever seen—other than Kennedy’s. That was a first for my trips to visit Derek. It was no secret that my brother had a bit of a playboy persona. He’d slept with a lot of women, but he never let them stick around to ride in his BMW.
And he definitely didn’t have them come with him to pick me up from the airport.
“Hi, there!” She smiled. “I’m Stacey. Derek’s—”
“Fiancée,” Derek jumped in. Stacey giggled and nudged Derek in the side. “You’re supposed to let me say it!”
“Sorry, I can’t get enough of saying it out loud,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“Fiancée?” I asked, trying my best not to sound surprised. “I didn’t know there was even a girlfriend.”
“Yes, well, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” Stacey grinned. “We’ve only been talking for about two months, and last night bam! Proposal!”
Color me stunned.
“You know what they say, when you know, you know,” Derek said, kissing the girl’s forehead again. They both seemed smitten as hell. Happiness looked good on Derek. Sometimes it seemed that he struggled to find his way in life apart from working. There were times when his mind would get so dark, but he refused to let anyone in. He said therapy wasn’t for him, but he was glad it worked for me. Still, I wished he would talk to someone. It couldn’t hurt.
“Congratulations!” I said, holding my hand out toward Stacey to shake.
“Oh no, sweetheart, I’m a hugger,” she said, pulling me in close. As she squeezed me to death, I looked to my brother who was grinning ear to ear at her as if she were his sun.
Good for them.
“Now, don’t worry. I won’t be in your hair all weekend. I just wanted to come and meet you to say hi. Derek has told me so much about you.”
“Hopefully good things,” I joked.
“There’s only good things to say,” Derek commented, even though I knew it was a lie.
We headed to his apartment, which showcased once again that money wasn’t a problem for him. It was a huge place with three bedrooms on