She chewed on her bottom lip as she studied me. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“How has my brother been during his volunteer hours?” she asked carefully. “He won’t tell me anything, and I’m usually the only person he talks to. Made me curious if he’s been absolutely impossible, because I know he can be.”
“Oh boy.” I laughed. “You’re diving right in, aren’t you?”
She scrunched her nose. “Sorry. I have zero filter on a good day. It drives my father crazy.” Her eyes dropped to the floor. “Most things about me drive him crazy, though,” she murmured. “Starting with the not-impressive-enough GPA.”
My chest ached at the expression on her face. “That can’t be true.”
Her face brightened, but something about it seemed forced. “Believe me, it is. I’m used to it. We’ve always been like oil and water.”
“That’s what Pops said about him and my mother.” I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. “They never got along either.”
“Do they now?”
I gave her a sad smile. “She passed away when I was little. She wasn’t very healthy, and she had a heart attack when I was five. I don’t even really remember her.”
Her face was stricken. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Remi. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re fine. It is what is. I had a wonderful childhood with my grandfather. He’s the most important man in my life.”
She smiled. “That’s Archer for me. He’s the best brother in the entire world.”
“Archer?” I asked disbelievingly.
Analise laughed. “Yeah. No one believes me when I say that. He’s ... he’s pretty guarded.”
I snorted. “That’s one word for it.”
“Has it been bad?” There was something so sweet about this girl—perceptive, too, because she clocked my hesitance to answer and gave me an encouraging smile. “You can be honest.”
“Okay. Then, honestly, I wanted to slap the shit out of him the first three or four days he came in. I thought he was arrogant and cold. Too good to do menial labor.” I shook my head, inhaling slowly. “And he is so talented at pissing me off. He could walk in and say one thing, and my blood pressure goes sky-high. Also, I cannot tell if he hates dogs, and that really bugs me for some reason.”
Analise smiled. “Yeah, that’s how he acts when he’s unsure.”
“Oh, come on.”
“I’m serious. Archer doesn’t let himself relax very easily.” Her eyes were earnest, like she was begging me to understand something. “But when he does, he’s ... he’s thoughtful and he’s supportive. He’d literally do anything to protect me. And I think I’m the only person he’s had the chance to love, you know?”
“Analise . . .”
She kept going. “I know this seems crazy to tell you all this, but if he brought me here, if he’s trying with you, it’s because there’s something there. He probably doesn’t know how to show you that he’s interested, but he’s such a good person underneath his shell, Remi, I promise—”
“Analise,” I said more firmly. “I hardly know your brother. He just happened to be there when I found out I didn’t have a babysitter.” She opened her mouth to argue, but I held up my hand. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you don’t need to try and sell me on him. He’s not the kind of guy who would fit in my life. He’s a professional athlete, and I can’t deal with all the things that come with that—even if he was interested, which he’s not.”
“But if he was—”
“He’s not. We don’t ... we don’t mesh. I can’t invite someone into my life who’s done some of the things he’s done,” I answered carefully. “I have a son to think about.”
Her expression never wavered. “No, you don’t understand. He’s ... he’s not the way he portrays himself to be. I know what the media says and how all this looks, but he doesn’t care what other people think of him.”
“I’m glad he’s such a good brother—”
“He’s thebestbrother. He’d do anything to protect me, even if it ruined him,” she said fiercely. It was the light in her eyes—not angry, not stubborn, but so genuine, so steadfast—that made my head rear back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Maybe I got too excited when he brought me to meet you,” she said, opening her eyes again and giving me a meek smile. “He’s never done that before.”
“It’s okay,” I answered gently. “I’m glad you two are so close.”