Of course. After all that’s happened, how could he still not understand? Why hide now? He’d begged the heavens to bring her back, and now that she really had returned, he was letting some foolish pride drive him into hiding. What sense did that make?

    He’d been a fool. Nothing–absolutely nothing–mattered more than Alessia.

    That thought made him kiss Alessia again. He twined her hair gently around his finger, curling it over and over, his touch soft and full of longing, his eyes openly brimming with love.

    The next morning, Alessia woke before Cole. She looked at his tousled head on the pillow, a smile tugging at her lips as she reached out and ruffled his hair. The slightly prickly feel made her palm tingle, but her heart felt warm and tender.

    A quiet cough pulled Alessia from her thoughts. She looked up–Max was there.

    Without a word, Max picked up the vase from the bedside table and carried it into the bathroom. When he returned, the flowers had been reced with a fresh bouquet.

    “Breakfast,” he announced. He set down a tray: a bowl of mild, nourishing soup with a bit of meat–simple, but stillforting.

    Cole stirred awake, still groggy, but his hands moved automatically, setting up the little table for Alessia’s meal.

    For a split second, as their eyes met, Cole looked embarrassed. He cleared his throat to cover it up and quickly looked away.

    Max didn’tment, either. He just pulled over a chair and sat quietly beside Alessia.

    “Don’t you have work?” Alessia asked, eyeing him.

    The unspoken question hung between them: You sit here every morning, silently watching me eat, then disappear when Karenes in the afternoon. What are you doing, really?

    “Not busy,” Max replied, his tone t. He didn’t even look up, just reached for his book, opened to the page he’d marked yesterday, and began to read.

    “The water pitcher’s empty. I’ll go get you some more hot water,” Cole offered, grabbing the kettle. He didn’t quite meet Alessia’s eyes, but at least he wasn’t pretending she wasn’t there.

    b10:40 /b1

    Men and their pride, Alessia thought. She understood, so she let him be.

    The door had barely closed behind Cole when Max spoke. “He finally showed up, huh?b” /b

    “You’re not allowed to tease him.”

    At those words, Max looked up at her.

    “You little traitor,” he muttered, a familiar usation.

    Alessia stifled augh. “No matter what I do, you always say I’m a traitor.”

    Max’s eyes drifted back to his book. “That time, during the school field day–my seatmate tricked me into going out of town. I almost couldn’t make it back, so I didn’t show up.”

    Thement came out of nowhere, but Alessia understood instantly.

    “Why are you only telling me now?”

    “Just thought of it, so I said it.” He kept his gaze fixed on the page, though whether he was actually reading was another matter.

    “So why didn’t youe to any of my field days after that?”

    “I missed the first one. No point going after that.”

    “That’s crap,” Alessia blurted out, swearing for once.

    Max clearly hadn’t expected that–his pupils contracted and his hand paused mid–turn

    of the page.

    “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

    Alessia hesitated, words dying on her lips.

    In all her memories, except for the time he got her drunk andnded her in the hospital, Max had never apologized to her before.

    “I’m off. Let your boyfriend take care of the dishes.” He closed his book and put it back on the shelf.

    “But I won’t have any more field days.”

    “Yeah,” Max replied.

    “Max, when I was little, I thought you were the best big brother in the world.”

    He didn’t turn around. “Yeah.”

    b1020 /b

    bChapter 482 /b

    “And now, I still think you’re the best big brother.”

    “You little traitor.” Max kept his back to her, but the smile tugging at his lips was something only he knew was there.

    bChapter /bb483 /b