Chapter 38

Cecilia

The morning light filtered through the kitchen window as I stared at my phone, Alice's contact pulled up on the screen. My thumb hovered over the call button for a solid minute before I finally pressed it.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Cecilia?" Her voice was soft.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual. "Just wanted to check in. You okay?"

There was a pause, long enough that I started to worry. Then she laughed—this small, fragile sound that made my chest ache.

"I'm good," she said. "Really good, actually."

I frowned. "Alice—"

"Max said I can go out with you whenever you want now." Her words tumbled out in a rush, like she was afraid I'd interrupt. "He said... he said it's fine. That you're good for me."

My stomach twisted. Whenever you want. Not whenever she wants. The distinction was subtle but damning.

"That's great," I said carefully. "I'm glad he's—"

"Thank you." Her voice cracked. "Thank you so much, Cecilia."

Free to go out—but only with me. Free to leave the house—but only with permission. That wasn't freedom. That was just a longer leash.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words stuck in my throat. What was I supposed to tell her?

"I'm really happy for you," I said instead, hating how hollow it sounded.

"You're like the sun," Alice said suddenly, her voice thick with emotion. "You know that? You just... you make everything brighter. I really love you, Cecilia. I—"

A sharp sound cut her off—something between a yelp and a protest.

"Max, wait—"

Her voice grew fainter, like she was being pulled away from the phone. I heard a door slam, then muffled shouting that quickly faded into silence.

My heart hammered in my chest. "Alice? Alice!"

Nothing.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, someone picked up.

"Hello?"

Not Alice. Max.

"What the hell just happened?" I demanded. "Where's Alice?"

"She's fine. Why should she love you?" His tone was flat. "She just needed a moment to calm down. Got a little too excited."

"What?" I repeated, my grip tightening on the phone. "Max, I think you're only pushing Alice further away like this."

Silence stretched between us.

"Carter and I are planning a trip," he said suddenly, his voice shifting to something lighter, almost casual. "Cabo, maybe. Or Turks and Caicos. Haven't decided yet. Arthur coming?"

I blinked, thrown by the abrupt shift. "I... I don't know. Let me ask him."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and walked into the kitchen, where Arthur was standing at the stove, flipping pancakes like some kind of domestic god. He glanced up when I entered, his expression softening.

"Max wants to know if you're up for a trip," I said, my voice hollow. "Him, Carter."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Somewhere tropical. He hasn't decided."

He studied me for a moment, his gaze sharpening. "You okay?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah. Fine."

He didn't look convinced, but he nodded. "Sure. Why not?"

I put the phone back to my ear. "He's in."

"Good." Max paused. "By the way, Carter knows about yesterday. The whole Madison thing."

My pulse quickened. "And?"

"He's pissed," Max said, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his tone. "This trip? It's Sophia's apology tour. He's making her grovel. I'm only going because he's my brother, and I owe him that much."

I bit my lip, an idea forming. "Can Alice come with me?"

The silence on the other end was deafening.

"Alice stays with me," Max said finally, his voice sharp. "I'll take care of her. You don't need to worry."

"Max—"

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone, anger bubbling up in my chest. That controlling bastard.

Arthur turned off the stove and walked over, his brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I muttered, shoving my phone into my pocket.

"Cecilia."

I looked up at him, and the concern in his eyes made something inside me crack. Without thinking, I crossed the kitchen and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.

He stiffened for a moment, surprised, then his arms came around me, warm and solid.

"Talk to me," he murmured into my hair.

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to think about Alice locked in her room, or Max's cold, possessive voice, or the way he'd dismissed her like she was nothing.

Instead, I slid my hands under Arthur's shirt, my fingers tracing the hard lines of his abs.

He sucked in a breath. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" I tilted my head up, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw. "Just... distract me."

His hands tightened on my hips, and I felt the shift in his breathing, the way his body tensed against mine.

"You know exactly what you're doing to me," he said, his voice dropping an octave.

"Yeah." I nipped at his earlobe. "That's the point."

He groaned, and the next thing I knew, he'd spun me around and lifted me onto the counter, his body pressing between my thighs. His mouth found mine, hot and demanding, and I melted into him, letting the kiss consume me.

For a few blissful minutes, the world outside the kitchen ceased to exist.

When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing hard, he rested his forehead against mine.

"Feel better?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I smiled despite myself. "Getting there."

He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose. "Pancakes?"

"Pancakes," I agreed.

As he turned back to the stove, I hopped down from the counter and leaned against it, watching him move with easy confidence. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text from Alice's number.

Thank you for yesterday. I won't forget it. —A

I stared at the message, my chest tightening. She'd gotten her phone back. Or maybe Max had given it back to her.

My throat ached as I typed back quickly.

Anytime. I mean it.

The reply came almost instantly.

I know. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time.

I stared at the screen, my eyes stinging. Alice thought I was sunshine. But sunshine couldn't break through steel bars. Sunshine couldn't set her free.

All I could do was keep showing up. Keep being there. And hope that one day, it would be enough.

Arthur slid a plate of pancakes in front of me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him and forced a smile.

"Thanks."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Always."