“Oh, no you don’t.” My sister steers her toward the table and forces her to sit in the empty chair next to me. “It’s about time we all have a little chat.”
Lisa leans toward me. “You could have given me some warning that you were talking to her today.”
“I didn’t give myself any warning, either,” I whisper. “I called her as soon as you left the restaurant on impulse.”
Bryce looks at us then Delilah. “They know we can hear them, right?”
“Who knows.”
“So, how mad at me are you?” Lisa turns her attention to her best friend. “I deserve it. Whatever emotions you’re feeling…throw them at me.”
My sister lets her stew in worry for a few minutes. Taking a few bites of her chicken and wiping her hands slowly to add to the drama. All I can do is shake my head.
“Mad isn’t really the right word.”
Lisa’s knee is bouncing a rapid rhythm. I slide my hand under the table and place it on her leg to calm her down. “Then what is.”
“I don’t know,” Delilah shrugs, “disappointed? Hurt? I don’t understand why you didn’t think you could talk to me about your feelings. Or even hint at the fact you’re in love with my brother.”
“Woah, press on the brakes.” Lisa holds her hands up. “Love is a strong word. I like your brother. Well, more than like him, but that’s beside the point. I just didn’t know how to talk to you. You made it clear you didn’t want us to be attracted to each other, and I went off and ruined that. I betrayed your trust.”
“Lisa,” my sister leans closer to her. “I would have been less hurt if you had opened up to me. We’re best friends. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us.”
“I know.” Lisa puts her hands in her lap and stares at them. “This whole having people to rely on, and confide in, is new to me. Even then it was brand new. I’ve never had that and I was terrified it would screw everything up. I didn’t want to push away the best people that had come into my life.”
It’s a shock to hear her talk like this. She’s putting everything out in the open. Things she whispered to me in the dark. I had no idea she didn’t confide in Delilah the same way. That tells me she does actually love me, but refuses to admit it.
“Please,” Delilah snorts. “I don’t think there’s anything you could do that would push me away. Except for leave town without a reason and quit checking in frequently. I was ready to send out a search party.”
“Sorry about that. I didn’t know what else to do, and I didn’t want to hear that he,” she points toward me. “Moved on to someone else.”
Okay, now I need to know something. “Am I the reason you came back?”
“Maybe a tiny part.” She holds her fingers close together to show just how small. “But mostly, I missed everyone. I missed my family.”
“Ah,” my sister puts her hands to her chest. “That might be the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day.”
“I’m pretty sure we had some pretty sweet moments when we talked earlier.” I butt in. It’s the first completely honest conversation we’ve had in years.
“Yeah, yeah. This isn’t about you.”
“Yeah, Dev,” Lisa bumps into me. “It’s not about you.”
Bryce looks between us and the food. “If we’re done declaring our undying love for our friendships, can we eat? The food is getting cold.”
“Always thinking with your stomach,” my sister laughs and gives him a quick peck on the cheek. It’s sweet and weird. He was one of my best friends and now he’s with my sister. I guess she feels the same way about me and Lisa. It’s something I can understand.
“Is there enough for me?” Lisa asks. “Eric’s fridge is practically empty and I’m starving.”
I flinch at the sound of his name, but I know it would be stupid to ask her to move in with me instead. We’ll get there, step by baby step. We have to work toward what we once were.
“Yes, silly. I thought you’d be here when we got back.” Delilah hands her a plate. “We can help you finish packing up your stuff after we eat.”
“Sounds good to me.” Lisa grabs some wings, vegetables, and fried pickles placing them in separate areas on her plate. It’s absolutely adorable how she doesn’t like her food to touch. Who knows maybe she’ll even let me help her take her things over to Eric’s. So, what if a small part of me wants to make sure he knows Lisa and I are together. Well, at least I think we are. That’s something we’ll have to discuss at some point today.
There were only a few boxes left to pack. Both of them are sitting in the back of my truck. Along with the air mattress we stopped by my parents to get. I can’t believe of all the things in the house Carlos could take with him, it was the bed from the guest bedroom. If she doesn’t get a new bed soon, I’m buying her one.
“You know you didn’t have to bring my stuff, right?” She looking out the window toward her new home. “All of that would have fit in my car.”
