Path To Restoration (Fighter's Den, #3)

Prologue - Nate

SEVEN YEARS EARLIER

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

I wait until my twin sister, Aria, meets my gaze so that she can see how reluctant I am about this. I'm trying to be understanding. I know she's been through hell and back and I want nothing more than for her to be happy but...this? Of all things?

Aria rolls her eyes, a shade of brown completely identical to my own. Even though we're fraternal twins, there's no denying the several similarities between our features. If it weren't for her deep auburn hair we could easily be mistaken as identical twins instead. "It's California, Nate. Not Jupiter."

"May as well be." I mutter.

"Stop being so dramatic. I want this. A little independence will do me good."

I try not to let that sting. Even though she didn't say the words, I know she means independence from me. "You weren't to blame for what happened to you." I try again.

"But I lost myself." She argues. I recognize that tone. I grew up with it. It's the tone she uses when there's just no changing her mind. "The way I handled everything...I mean, for fuck's sake, Nate. You started an entire business to help women like me redeem themselves. What did I do? Made an ass of myself and pushed everyone away. Ruined myself."

"That's not fair." My irritation spikes. "I'm not the one that went through what you went through. Of course it was easier for me to look at the situation through a clearer lens. You did the best you could and you did help, Aria. You stood in court as a witness for all those women. That's not making an ass of yourself."

"You don't get it." She shakes her head sadly. "And I don't expect you to. I know you're trying to be there for me and I can't even begin to express how proud I am of you. Do you know how cool it is to walk through downtown Boston and see a nightclub with my freaking name on it? I'm honoured, bro. But everything about this place is just a reminder of the worst thing that happened to me. It sucks that the people I love most also happen to live here but this is my choice. For once, I want to choose me. Please, Nate."

"Damn it." I curse in a gravelly voice. I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly to me. She's tall for a girl, 5'10, but still way shorter than me and I always rub it in her face along with my being seven minutes older. But it still rings true that she's my baby sister, twin or not. I can't help but feel the fierce need to protect her and that's why this is killing me. Aria and I have always been joined at the hip. Now that she's transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, I won't be there to watch over her and make sure she's okay. "I already failed you when you were right in front of me. What the fuck am I going to do when we're not even in the same country?"

"I know you don't want to hear this but you can't always protect me. There's only so much you can do and you need to make your peace with that. This will do you some good, too."

"Then why does it feel like I'm watching a car wreck in slow motion?"

"Because for once, you're not the driver." She pulls away to look at me. "I love you but you need to let me drive, too. You need to learn to be in the passenger seat. We can't live the rest of our lives like this."

I kick the bottom of her suitcase just to be petty. "I hate when you're right."

"I'm always right." She laughs and I have to force myself not to close my eyes to take in the sound. It's been so long since Aria has laughed freely or smiled willingly. That bastard not only bruised her body — he bruised her damn soul. In just a matter of months Aria became a shell of herself. She lost a drastic amount of weight and it shows, her cheeks now hollow and sunken in, her collarbone protruding, and her entire frame diminished by too many pounds. She looks tired all the time and her eyes hold a certain vacancy. It's like she's here but she's not here. My once loud and cheerleader-level of perky sister now hides in the shadows and refuses to be seen. It breaks my fucking heart and I've cried myself to sleep every night since she finally admitted to me that Robbie physically abused her.