I to be an intermediary?’
Ethan looked at his older brother. His tone was light but their history with Olivia Fairchild was complex. And, apart from one aborted attempt on the day of Leo’s wedding, Ethan had never really apologised for his behaviour where that was concerned. He’d not only hurt Olivia but he’d also hurt Leo—deliberately.
Because he could.
He put his coffee cup down in its saucer. ‘No. Of course not. About that … about Olivia … about what happened between all of us—’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Leo interrupted. ‘Water under the bridge.’
‘No.’ Ethan shook his head. ‘I was out of line.’
‘Yes, you were.’ Leo grinned. ‘But … I knew deep down she never really liked me—not in that way. She certainly never gave me any reason to think there was anything other than friendship on her behalf. But … she was so gorgeous … my ego got in the way.’
Gorgeous. Yes, Leo was right. Olivia had been vivacious, sparkling, witty. Quick with a laugh and a snappy one-liner.
And utterly gorgeous.
‘That doesn’t make my behaviour any less reprehensible. You were right. I was using her to get at you and I’m sorry. I was pretty self-destructive there for a while, huh?’
Leo shrugged. ‘Losing Mum was hard on you.’
‘And not on you?’
‘Ethan … we’ve made our peace. We both did things wrong and I don’t expect you to spend the rest of your life apologising for something that happened a long time ago which we’ve put behind us.’
He paused and pierced his brother with a look that Ethan had come to know as his clinic director look.
‘And I’m not the one you need to apologise to. That’s what you were supposed to be doing last night.’
Ethan grimaced. ‘Yeah. That didn’t happen.’ He glanced at his brother, who held his gaze with unwavering intensity. ‘She refused to accept my apology last time. What makes you think she will now?’
‘It’s been a long time,’ Leo said. ‘And she’s never struck me as being someone to hold a grudge.’
‘It was pretty unforgivable.’
Leo nodded in agreement. ‘You need to make it right, though. You’ll be working with her again over the next few months. You have to clear the air.’
Ethan knew Leo was right. Once upon a time that would have rankled, as everything about his brother’s authority and over-protectiveness had rankled. But he’d done a lot of growing up and recognised good advice when he heard it. ‘I know.’
There was silence for the next few minutes as they finished their breakfast. Leo put his utensils down on his plate and looked at his brother. ‘I thought you and her might …’
Ethan glanced up from his breakfast. The possibility of he and Olivia glimmered for a moment. Her touch on his leg last night was almost tangible again, the way they’d been together settling around him in a fine mist he could almost taste.
But then memories of another woman—a woman he’d loved, a woman he’d left to die—pushed into the possibilities, beating them back, drowning them in a tide of guilt.
Aaliyah.
Ethan threw his napkin on his plate. ‘Let’s go.’
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