Intrigue

Chapter 73

Jeremy's POV

My eyes followed Sean's figure as he walked up the stairs. I turned to Sophie as soon as I heard his bedroom door close. I exhaled in relief.

"It wasn't too bad, was it?" I asked. I was the person who knew Sean the most in the world, but in this case I needed verification.

"It went well, he's just a bit overwhelmed," his sister said softly, meeting my eyes. I opened my arms and pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. Affection was reserved for when it was just her and I, even though Sean had made it pretty obvious that he was aware of our relationship.

"I hope so. I'm so glad you're here to help me with this," I said to Sophie now, glancing down at her beautiful eyes.

"Of course I am, he's my brother," she answered me, almost defensively. I recognised the tone. Not jealousy or ownership on Sean, but guilt, for the first couple of years that he spent in prison and she blamed him, opting not to visit him at all unless I really, really pestered her. Also, guilt about her relationship with Cole McCarthy, before she'd suddenly come home and told me that she knew what had happened. She'd dumped him without giving him a reason. Maybe someday he'd be the one in jail for the way he treated Sean.

I looked at Sophie properly now. "It feels like he's my brother, too," I mumbled. She offered a smile and reached up to kiss me. I kissed her back contentedly for a few seconds. Then we cleared the plates and glasses, and put the leftovers in the fridge. I watched Sophie load the dishwasher, before slipping out of my daze. I put the drinks back in the cupboard, and put the chairs back in their original space. I was about to sweep the floor to remove any potential crumbs, when Sophie stopped me.

"Jer, leave it. You should get a cleaner."

"It's a five-minute job."

She watched me in amusement. "I admire your simple approach to life," she said.

I shrugged. She knew I liked taking care of my house, of having something to call my own. "That's what happens when you're the lovechild of some random dude, I guess," I said softly. The distinction between me and the rest of my friends was evident.

"You're no different than the rest of us, sweetheart," she told me, stroking my arm. She stopped, seeming to hesitate. "Well, actually, I'm a bit of a snob. But no different to Sean." She smiled at me.

"Sean's a darling. I hope he does get better soon." I grabbed her hand. "Bed?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day," Sophie said, holding on to my hand. I switched off the lights and we made our way up the stairs.

"Long day," I scoffed in a whisper. We stopped in the middle of the stairs. "This is why you're the CEO and I'm a freelance accountant, you know, Soph. So that we can stay up all night and then you go to work when you please and I work from home."

She arched an eyebrow. "Dream on, sweetheart," she answered me. I laughed and pulled her to me, into another deep kiss. She made her way to the bathroom, and I walked into my bedroom, sitting down on the bed to take off my shoes.

It turned out that I did stay up all night, because I couldn't sleep at all. I sat up in bed, head resting on my elbow, going over the events of the past few years that had led to this moment. I watched Sophie sleep, her bare arm emerging out of the sheets. I exhaled, glancing at the closed door, wishing that I could check on Sean to make sure that he was okay. Now that he was back, I never wanted to let him go. Both Sophie and I shared this sentiment, we'd spoken about this at length. We were going to do our utmost to get him back on track, to make sure that no one hurt him again.