“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Nova’s voice filled the room.

I spun around, surprised that she had not only followed me, but that I hadn’t sensed her behind me. For the first time, I noticed what she’d been wearing, and I was thankful it was only her brother in the apartment with us, because if anyone else saw her in those tiny shorts and tank top without a bra, I would have lost my fucking mind. “I told you to stay in bed.”

She rolled her eyes at me before turning her glare back on her brother.

Garret blinked at his sister, trying to focus on her. “You…” He took a stumbling step toward her. “You knew, didn’t you?”

“Knew what?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“About Lis…Cali. Whatever the fuck her name is.” He stumbled into a side table. Cursing, he picked up the lamp and threw it, causing it to shatter against the wall. It was still plugged in and began to spark. “You knew who she really was, didn’t you?”

“Garret…” Nova’s voice turned from hard to soothing in a heartbeat. “Are you really going to tell me you didn’t know who she is? How many hours did you spend looking at all of her pictures? Don’t lie to me and say you had no clue that Lis was Calista.”

“I didn’t,” he shouted, spittle flying out of his mouth. “She lied to me. For months. I bet you and she had a real good laugh, playing me along.” He let out a pained sound, like a wounded animal, before he slammed his fist down on the side table that was still in his way. “No wonder that bastard Ramirez is in the city. He’s here to take her away from me.”

“No one was laughing at you, dumbass. And if you had no clue who she really was, then that is completely on you. Do you even remember how you were back then, Garret? The way you would bully her?” Nova shook her head in disgust. “You were a monster at times.”

“No,” he denied, shaking his head, his eyes filling with tears. “I wasn’t like that—”

“You were.” When he tried to argue, Nova stomped up to him and slapped him across the face so hard his head snapped back, causing me to tense. I hadn’t seen the Hannigan siblings get physical since the one and only time Nova had kicked Garret that first day we met. The rage that filled his eyes had me ready to intervene in case he struck her back. “You told her she deserved to be raped!”

His legs seemed to give out, and he dropped to his knees. “I said that,” he whispered. “I really said that to her.” He lifted stricken eyes to his sister. “I told her that and so much more, but I never meant it, Nova. I was a bastard to her. How…” His face turned green, and he swallowed convulsively before he was able to speak again. “How could she possibly love me when I treated her like that back then?”