Read Online The Idea of You by Darcy Burke - Free Book Online

Tori turned to Evan. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “You sure you’re okay? I haven’t seen you do that in a while. Not since you’ve been home, anyway.”
    â€œAnd you didn’t exactly see me much before that.”
    â€œNo, it was kind of hard with you living in Longview and me living in San Francisco.” She smiled at him. “I’m so glad we’re both here now. But I’m still surprised you made the move. I thought you liked living independently, away from all of us.”
    â€œAs much as you did, probably. Why did you come home?”
    â€œBecause of The Alex. Because of Alex —what he did. And then Sean.” She shook her head and blew out a breath. “My life has turned completely upside down in the past year.”
    â€œYeah, it has.”
    She cocked her head to the side. “Has yours?”
    He picked up the used glasses and took them over to the sink area, dumping leftover wine down the drain. “I guess.”
    She brought more glasses and set them by the sink, then opened the dishwasher and started loading them into the racks, which had been designed specifically for wineglasses. “Does Alex dying have anything to do with you coming home?”
    He went around and picked up more glasses. “I suppose. You’re all coming back and working on the monastery. I felt like I should, too.”
    â€œNot all of us,” she said, taking over dumping the wine and then loading the glasses in the dishwasher. “Hayden left, and I doubt Liam will ever come back.”
    â€œYou have a point. But Hayden will be back when his internship’s done. I’m sure he’ll open the next best winery in the valley.”
    â€œYou’re probably right.” She leaned her hip against the counter. “You’ve never said whether you’ve gotten your letter from Alex.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHave you?” He sensed the intensity in her question. She’d been so upset when she’d had to wait for her letter. Alex hadn’t intended her to have it for a whole year, but Evan had demanded Aubrey give it to her last fall, when Tori’s life had basically imploded from grief and guilt.
    He hadn’t wanted to tell anyone that he’d gotten his letter. They’d only ask what was in it, and he couldn’t share what Alex had asked of him. Not until Evan had done it. But since she was asking him point-blank, he didn’t see a reason to lie. Whoa, now he was thinking about whether or not to withhold information. Maybe he was as together as Alaina said. Cool. “Yes. Aubrey brought it to me last March.”
    â€œShe brought it to you? In Longview?” Tori folded her arms over her chest. “Why’d you get yours so fast when Alex was going to make me wait a year?”
    Evan arched a brow at her. “Didn’t he say something in your letter about perspective?”
    â€œYes.” She finished putting the last of the glasses in the dishwasher. She dropped a soap pellet into the compartment on the door and closed it. “Will you tell me what he wrote?”
    Evan went around and recorked the bottles. He still wasn’t ready to reveal the part about the novel. The same went for his new job. “It was relatively short, actually. He told me to take care of you.” He flicked her an apologetic glance. “I should’ve done better.”
    â€œDon’t beat yourself up. I wasn’t letting anyone help me. Even if you’d been here, I likely would’ve pushed you away along with everyone else. I was such a head case. And kind of a bitch, too, probably.” She turned to program the dishwasher to start.
    â€œDon’t beat yourself up either,” Evan said. “Our brother killed himself. You’re entitled to deal with it however you can.”
    â€œWell, that was my problem. I didn’t deal with it.” She turned and leaned back against the dishwasher.