Love Like This (The Romance Chronicles-Book #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

With no apartment of her own to return to, Keira had no choice but to go to Bryn's after work that night. She took the elevator up to her sister's apartment, dragging her still packed luggage behind her. She was utterly exhausted from lack of sleep over the last day, and all the writing she'd done on the plane. But when Bryn opened the door, smiling brightly, Keira instantly felt herself perk up.

"Sis!" Bryn cried. "I've missed you so much!"

The two sisters hugged. Keira felt so grateful to be back in her sister's company.

Bryn ushered Keira inside and led her to the kitchen. There was a bottle of wine and two glasses waiting on the counter for them. Bryn poured them both a glass and hopped onto a stool.

"Tell me everything. The time difference has been a bitch. And then you haven't replied to any of my texts or calls for like forty-eight hours. I was starting to worry your plane had gone down or something."

Keira raised an eyebrow. She'd forgotten how loud Bryn's voice could be. How many words seemed to tumble from her mouth before she took a breath. She'd become entirely unaccustomed to the pace of New York City life.

"I'm here, alive," she said. "I was just a bit busy." She smiled to herself as her memories of Shane replayed in her mind.

Bryn looked at her suspiciously. "Busy doing what? Or should I say who?"

Keira tsked aloud at her sister's crassness. "If you must know, I was with Shane."

"Still?" Bryn exclaimed, eyes widening.

"It was more than just a hookup," Keira said. "It was a whirlwind love affair."

"You mean lust affair," Bryn said. "Don't you? I mean no one can fall in love that quickly."

Keira just shrugged. "I met people who fell in love at first sight. People who married within twenty-four hours of meeting. There's really no right or wrong way to do love. When you find it, you find it."

Bryn looked unimpressed. "But he lives in Ireland, sis. You're never going to see him again. And the novelty of FaceTime will wear off soon enough."

Keira herself had to admit that Bryn had a point. Things with Shane had been left in the air. The sensible part of her kept telling her that nothing would ever come of it, that what they had existed in just that one point and one location in time, that she should be happy to have even had the chance to experience it. But the wild, romantic side of her that had been unleashed by the encounter wanted something different. It didn't want to let go, give up, or rest. It wanted to fight for love.

Bryn took a big swig of her wine. "What's the deal with you and Zach, then? Are you moving out? Because I mean you can stay here as long as you want, honestly, but also you know how particular I am and how much I need my me time, you know? I mean work is insane at the moment and I'm hardly getting any sleep so it's like super important that things are chill at home. I checked with Mom and she said it's cool to stay with her if you need to."

Keira looked at her sister and sighed. As much as she loved Bryn, she couldn't help but wish her sister could be a little more supportive like the Lawder girls. She realized then how much she missed not just Shane, but his family too.

"I just need to be in New York City for work while I'm finishing up the article," Keira explained. "But I have a feeling that won't take too long. I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

She smiled to herself, looking up at the clock and counting down the minutes until the piece went live. Instead of scared, she found herself feeling excited. It was thrilling to know she'd rebelled against Joshua. And unlike the trash piece she'd written before, she was proud of this one. She couldn't wait for Shane, Orin, William, Maeve, the Lawders—all the people she'd met and grown to love in Ireland—to read it.