“Painfully nostalgic, I suppose. Some of my best memories are there. And worst. It’s why I wanted this flip. I feel close to what I once had, I guess.”

“I get it. Sometimes I go back to my old neighborhood to see the first house we had. A reminder of what life was like before. But for you, it’s the opposite.”

“The fall is hard. You find out exactly who’s real and who isn’t when your grace is gone.”

“You lost a lot more than financial stability and your parents.”

“We lost everything and everyone. And honestly, I couldn’t blame anyone. My father swindled so much money out of people. It didn’t matter if they were friends or not, he destroyed a lot of lives. In a lot of people’s eyes, our family got what we deserved.”

“No eighteen-year-old deserves to have her entire life turned upside-down like that.”

“People experience losses far worse than what we did, who deserve it far less than my family did. Like I said, I took a lot for granted until I had to go without, and I don’t want to do that again.”

“You really are incredible,” Pierce says softly.

“I’m really not. Mostly I’m just good with numbers, and I hurt a lot of people because of that.”

“Don’t take that on, Rian. You’re a hell of a lot more than good with numbers. You were taken advantage of by someone you loved and trusted. You’re phenomenal and brilliant, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

I expel a slow breath, wanting to tell him he’s wrong, that I’m none of the things he thinks I am.

“I can see you trying to form an argument in that head of yours, and you need to stop. How I see you is not up for debate.”

“None of that changes where I came from.”

“You think that matters to me? I don’t give a shit who your parents are, or how much of a spoiled rich brat you think you were as a kid, or whether you messed up your dating profile questionnaire so we ended up as a two out of ten on some ridiculous compatibility test score when we should be a ten.” Pierce takes my face between his palms, his expression determined and serious. “I’m one hundred percent in love with you, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change that.”

For me, love has always been such an unstable, conditional emotion outside of my twin. Except as I look at Pierce, I can see that he means it, that it’s real and warm and comforting. Stupid tears well and track down my cheeks.

Pierce wipes them away gently, his smile an echo of that tender touch. “I’m overwhelming you with the declaration, huh?”

I laugh, but the sound ends on a half sob. “I love you back.” It comes out a broken whisper.

He places a soft kiss on my lips and pulls back. “That was hard, wasn’t it?”

I nod. He gets me in a way no one else does, not even Marley sometimes. Saying it out loud makes it so much more real. Telling the person who owns your heart that you love them gives them power—the kind that can make you whole or shatter your world.

“I promise I’ll take good care of your heart, Rian. And I promise it’ll get easier if you keep saying it.” He kisses me again, whispering against my lips, “I love you.”

I give up caring about brushing my teeth and try to keep our mouths connected, but he holds me firmly between his palms. “Your turn.”

I bite my lip and meet his earnest, patient gaze. My God, this man.

“I love you.” This time the whisper isn’t broken.

“See how much easier it is already.” This time when he kisses me, he doesn’t stop.

We make love; those whispered words turn into moans and sighs and pleas for more. And I allow myself to fall completely, hopelessly in love.

CHAPTER 29

MISSION

RIAN

I’ve probably slept in my own bed twice in the past four weeks. Post-fight and love declaration, Pierce decided the best way to get the flip finished was to move in to the Paulson reno with me and do as much of the work himself as possible, while also overseeing the hired trades. He insists on working for free and just having us pay for supplies. I make it up to him in the bedroom.

The good part about Pierce staying with me is that we see a lot of each other, apart from his weekly trips to Manhattan. Sometimes he’s gone for a night, and sometimes he’s gone for two. He’s been putting a lot of work into cleaning up the patent issue and tying up loose ends there. He’s mentioned more than once how much he’d like to stay in the Hamptons, and how he’s broached the subject with his father. If he does end up leaving law, he’ll have to train someone to take his place. While I’d love for that to happen, I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much.

I suppose in some ways those trips are preparing me for the possibility that he’ll have to move back to Manhattan. He’s always stressed and preoccupied before he goes, and needy when he returns, which makes me nervous. I’ve been busy with the flip, and it’s really all work when he’s there so accompanying him seems pointless. Not that I’ve been invited. I try not to let it get to me, but sometimes my paranoia takes over and I have to remind myself that Pierce isn’t going to screw me around.

We’re two days away from finishing this renovation. It’s nine o’clock in the morning on a Thursday, and we have an inspector coming to check the electrical and plumbing upgrades before the flip officially goes on the market on Saturday.

While we wait for the coffee to brew, Pierce decides we should pass the time by making out. It escalates quickly—until I end up on the island with him between my legs, looking to get inside me. As if I’m going to say no to a little morning lovin’.

I’m three well-angled thrusts away from coming when the door slams open and Marley’s voice echoes down the hallway.

My eyes go wide and I whisper, “Oh no, I’m so close.”

“Stay where you are!” Pierce shouts. He’s already holding onto the back of my neck to keep me in place.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’ll be outside,” Marley yells, and the door slams shut again.

I’m too far gone to care or be embarrassed. Pierce crushes his mouth to mine as I come. Less than two minutes later, my clothes are back in place, and Pierce is disposing of the spent condom.

I open the front door to find Marley sitting on the steps, fiddling with her phone.

“Why didn’t you call to let me know you were coming by?”

“Because it’s my house too. Why can’t you two screw in a bedroom like normal people?”

“Good point.”

“Ya think?” She stalks past me, clearly annoyed. “I have news.”

“What kind of news?”

She crosses over to the coffee and fills two cups. When Pierce comes around the corner, looking relaxed and smug, she rolls her eyes and grabs another cup, filling that one too. “The kind of news we’ve been waiting a long time for.”

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“I actually need a few minutes alone with my sister. Do you mind if I take her for a walk?”

Pierce frowns. “Sure. As long as everything’s okay.”

“It’s fine. Just family stuff.” Marley smiles tightly.

For most people, family stuff isn’t a huge deal, but for us, in the past it meant very bad things. My stomach clenches and I half expect Marley to tell me she’s heard from our parents despite having changed our phone numbers more than three years ago.