“What’s wrong with that?” I asked, confused. “I love her, Ciana. Her being safe and happy is all I can think about when she isn’t right in front of me.”

“No, I understand that. We all do. And I’m sure she does as well.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin before dropping it back onto her lap. “It’s just… You can be a little extreme. It’s sweet, in a weird, obsessed kind of way.”

“There’s a fine line between love and obsession.”

She frowned. “And what is that?”

“Both have the potential of consuming a person. But love is selfless. All you care about is the person you can’t live without being happy and whole. You worry about their well-being and helping them fulfill their dreams. Your only goal for any given day is to ensure they smile more than they cry.” I leaned back in my chair, watching my cousin closely as she frowned while she listened. “Obsession is selfish. You only think about yourself. It’s about your needs, your happiness. You want the person you’re obsessed with to be safe and happy, but only because of yourself, not them. Their wants, needs, and dreams are meaningless in the face of what you want.”

She dropped her fork into her salad bowl. “I can’t tell the difference where you and your feelings for Nova are concerned.”

“You’re right. I am in love with her and beyond obsessed with her,” I admitted. “But when it comes down to it, my love outweighs my obsession. Because her happiness is more important to me than my own.”

Ciana’s face softened. “I want that,” she said in a dreamy voice. But it only lasted for a moment before her face tightened. “But that’s not ever going to happen. I live in a bubble. I’ll never find a guy who loves me like you love Nova.”

“How do you know? You don’t even date. Every time Zariah has mentioned setting you up with someone, you turn up your nose and make fun of her choices in men.”

“Have you met the guys she dates?”

I grimaced. “Yeah, she has a type.” And that type left a lot to be desired. Mostly, they were the kind of guy a girl like Zariah could walk all over without even blinking. They gave in to her, no matter what she wanted, and she ate that up like it was candy. They were…boring. Or so Nova had told me when she’d described one particular boyfriend Zariah had brought home to introduce to the family.

Boring and Ciana, however, didn’t go hand in hand. That was like trying to mix oil and water—while the oil was on fire.

Whoever my beautiful cousin fell in love with would be a lucky motherfucker. Yet at the same time, I pitied him because she was definitely a handful. Mostly in a good way, but damn, there were times I just wanted to lock her in a room for a few days to have a little peace.