Maya's POV
I hadn't managed to call my brother between Damon's father's Saturday visit and Sunday lunch at Liam and Hazel's house. Now, during my lunch break, I finally had a moment to reach out to Cole about the unfolding situation.
"Hey, little Maya! How's my beautiful sister doing?" Cole's voice carried the same warmth it always did. No matter what chaos swirled around him, he never failed to greet me with genuine affection.
"I'm hanging in there. How about my number one brother?" I teased. His laugh filled the line—this was our lifelong ritual. Since childhood, I'd called him my favorite brother, and he adored it. Truth be told, he truly was my favorite.
"Missing you terribly. So much that I'm planning to visit this weekend. Got space for me?"
I found his sudden eagerness suspicious. After all, I'd lived in this city for an entire year without him visiting, but now he wanted to come back just days after his last visit.
