My heartbeat spiked. I had no idea how long he'd been standing out there, or how much he'd heard.
I didn't speak. Neither did he.
The air seemed to congeal. It stayed that way for a long time before he broke the silence, his voice low.
"Adrian Winslow is my wife, after all. So I went to her first…"
When I heard that, something in my chest actually loosened.
So he hadn't arrived early enough to hear what the doctor said.
As for who he chose to save first, I only nodded. My expression was calm.
"Of course. Brother-in-law."
The address made him visibly freeze. Something flickered behind his eyes, quick and unsteady.
"You never wanted to call me that before."
"I do now." My tone was flat. I didn't even look at him. "I've accepted it. The fact that no one loves me."
The words were quiet. Perfectly calm.
And because they were too calm, there was nothing he could say against them.
He looked like something had lodged in his throat. For a long time, he couldn't get a single word out. Finally, he managed.
"There's still my brother… He loved you."
I laughed.
I laughed for a long time.
By the end, the rims of my eyes had gone faintly red.
"He's dead."