Rex, for his part, hated himself for saying it. The moment those words left his mouth, everything became more... real. Iago was gone. Truly gone, just like Wichita, Harper, and everybody else he made the mistake of allowing near him. Ana was the only person he could ever count on, just as it had been when they were children. He kept still as his sister reached out to hug him, not protesting or pushing her away. After a moment, he shifted, relaxed, and began to reciprocate the hug.

"This is exhausting," he murmured. "I don't want to deal with... this... again."

No more dating for Rex Lewis. Now he remembered why he'd avoided it for the first 28 years of his life.