Marina nodded. She already knew the facts. “It’s not optimum, but what happened before you didn’t have any bearing on your relationship.”

“Exactly. And I know we didn’t have much time together before he died, but I honestly don’t think he ever would have stepped out on me. What we had was so much more than I had with anyone else. It was pure. There was never a moment with him where I didn’t know how much he loved me and how much I loved him. It was a certainty I’ve never felt with anyone else and I don’t think I ever will. I just wish we’d had more time together.”

“So no one else will ever measure up.”

“No. I tried twice after him but I knew both were wrong. I was grieving…trying to fill that huge hole that Danny left in my heart, but another person can’t do that. I had to heal myself.”

“But is refusing to ever give love another chance healing?”

“It’s closer to healing than breaking all over again would be.”

Sadness coursed through Marina. She’d never realized just how deeply Danny’s loss had affected Halcyon. Marina had guessed that Danny was the one Halcyon used to measure everyone else against, and it had been easy to see how much they loved and enjoyed each other. But she had just realized that Halcyon was still in love with him. Eighteen years he’d been gone, and her sister still hadn’t gotten over his death.

Could that one true love sustain her forever? Certainly, her sister never appeared to be unhappy. In fact, Halcyon mostly exhibited two sides—upbeat or pissed. Even her sarcasm was funny as hell. It had never occurred to Marina that all of that might be masking her sister’s real heartache. And was it even worth pointing out that had Halcyon had more time with Danny, things could have gone south just like her other relationships? It couldn’t be healthy for her sister to compare all relationships to the one that hadn’t even covered a three-month period. No one would ever measure up long-term.

As soon as all of this was behind them Marina and Halcyon were going to talk more. About Halcyon’s life. For so many years while dealing with Avery and her mother, Marina had always had Halcyon to lean on. And her sister had never wavered, nor was she wavering now. It was time for Marina to be that rock for Halcyon, whether her sister wanted her to or not. Because no matter how put together Halcyon appeared, she couldn’t possibly be satisfied with a life that never cracked the surface.

It was time for both of them to figure out what they wanted the most and go grab it.

Chapter Thirteen

Every inch of Marina’s body ached as she headed to the shower. Halcyon had trudged to her car earlier, swearing she was going to soak her feet the entire night. Marina pulled off her clothes, struggling a bit to bend over far enough to get her yoga pants off, then she yanked off her tank and sports bra. Her boobs slid down on her chest and flattened like balloons filled with sand.