I looked across the room at Derek.
My younger brother was standing near the fireplace, but he didn’t look like himself anymore.
The color had drained from his face.
Derek was thirty-three, and for most of his life, he had been the charming one in the family.
He could walk into a room full of strangers and have everyone laughing within minutes.
But he had never been responsible.
He changed jobs constantly.
He borrowed money and promised to pay it back.
Usually, he didn’t.
Clara had never trusted him.
For years, I had assumed she simply disliked his careless personality.
But once, several months before my business trip, Clara had said something that I hadn’t understood at the time.
We had been sitting in our kitchen after Lily went to bed.
Clara had been unusually quiet.
I remember asking her what was wrong.
She looked toward the hallway to make sure Lily wasn’t listening.
Then she lowered her voice.
“Alex, there’s something about Derek I don’t like.”
I had laughed softly.
“That’s not exactly breaking news. You’ve never liked him.”
She didn’t laugh.
“I’m serious.”
That made me stop.
“What happened?”
Clara had hesitated.
Then she reached across the table and took my hand.
“I don’t want you to think I’m trying to cause trouble between you and your brother. But please… be careful around him.”
“Why?”
