She shoved me hard, drunk with grievance and loss of control.
“Get lost. I don’t need a brother like you ever again.”
That bit of strength meant nothing to me.
But she herself overdid it. Her foot slipped, and her whole body pitched backward.
I stretched out an arm and pulled her back firmly before she could completely lose her balance.
Her slender waist could almost be encircled with one hand. The warmth coming through the fabric made my fingers pause for a fraction of a second.
“I’m not Julian.”
I lowered my voice, deliberately slowing my tone, explaining patiently.
“Not Julian?”
She tilted her head, blinking as if trying to focus. After a long moment, she barely managed to make out my outline.
The next second, though, she seemed to reach an even worse conclusion.
“Then you mu
