Bullshit. I didn’t need anything from them. Or at least, anything from him. Shaking my head, I started to tell her that, but she cut me off. “No, you don’t believe that you do…but you do, Kellan.” She rested her hand on my chest; it calmed me a little. So did her words. “I’ve heard you talk about your sister. You care about her. And your brother? You’ve never even met him…Don’t you want to?”

Yes. That was truly my only regret about the situation. I’d have to wait so long to meet Riley. Or, I would have, if Kiera hadn’t done this. I gave her a slight nod, conceding her point. She smiled at me, then said, “And your dad…how do you know what you’ll feel toward him, if you never give him a chance?” She brought her other hand to my cheek, stroked my skin with her thumb. “You could be missing out on something really good…because you’re scared.”

Or avoiding something really bad… I didn’t need more pain in my life. I just needed her. I looked down. “Kiera…” Don’t make me do this.

She lifted my head, returning my gaze to hers. “I saw you on Christmas morning, Kellan. You wanted that bond, that family bond…and you can have it. You just have to be brave.” Her smile grew wider as she studied me. “You are a smart, handsome, rock star with a girlfriend who adores you. You have nothing to fear…ever.”

She was repeating my sentiment of encouragement back to me, and I couldn’t help but grin at her. Maybe she was right. Maybe I’d been holding so tightly to my rage out of fear. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a…to have a family of my own. One that wanted me. I wasn’t sure if Gavin wanted me, I wasn’t entirely sure why he’d disappeared, but Hailey and Riley…I could have them in my life, and that, I did want.

Letting go of my annoyance at her, I shook my head. “When did you get so wise?” I asked.

With an adorable smirk on her face, she shrugged. “I am a college graduate, you know.”

I gave her look right back to her. “Not yet.”

Laughing, she slung her arms around me again. “Close enough.”

Curious, I asked her how she got Gavin’s number. She gave me a blank look, like she was stunned I’d ask her that. “Are you kidding, that number’s been burned into my brain since December.”

Cringing, I stared at the floor. Right. When I’d flat-out lied to her. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

She gave me a soft, forgiving kiss. “It’s okay…I get it now.” I was so grateful that she did.