All signs of elation she previously held trickle off her face. “You’re doing itagain.”
“Doingwhat?”
“That thing where you pretend everything is fine, but it’s really not.” She gives me a slight kick from under the table. “And it really ticks me off. By the way, you’re lousy atapologies.”
My mouth falls open. An entire litany of words struggle to come to my defense, but they can’t seem to make it past my vocalcords.
“I love you.” There. My entire body sags with relief. “If I’m hard on you, it’s because I want to protect you. Our mother may have chosen not to, but I choose to do so.” It comes out a little too caustic. “It’s thetruth.”
Serena drops her face into her hands. “I get it. I really do. But what you don’t get is that I need some room to breathe.” Her entire person recoils as if I’ve offended her. “I’m your sister, not your daughter. And—I want to be your friend.” She softens, reaching over and taking up my hand. That small gesture, those foreign words, spark something in my chest that dare I say feels like my heart slowly ticking back tolife.
“My friend, huh?” I clasp both of my hands around hers. “I’m in.” We share a quiet laugh as if the territory set out before us was destined to be a joyous one. Here’s hoping, but I can’t be sure. It’s all still too new for me. “But I still want you to weigh my opinion heavily. I’m only looking out for you. I would never impose anything on you to tormentyou.”
She gives a wry smile. “Not even the ban onboys?”
“Maybe that, but you’ve lifted that decree yourself. See? You’re already wielding your newfound power. Be careful with it, though. With much power comes much responsibility. Use your head, not your heart.” Something pinches in my chest when I say it. “Okay, listen to your heart on occasion, too—but do us both a favor and keep yourself chaste. The last thing you want the boys of Hollow Brook thinking is that you’reeasy.”
“Oh, I’m hard to get.” She lifts a brow. “But something tells me not as hard as you.” A waitress struts by, and Serena leans in. “I’d better get back to work. How about we get together later this week for anotherfriendlychat? This time you can tell me all about your heart and where it stands with the opposite gender. I’ve been curious about that for years. Whatever that boy did to you it must have stung like hell.” She winces. “Don’t shoot me. Those kinds of words have a way of slipping out on occasion when I’m passionate about something. And I happen to be passionate about you.” She leans over the table and offers me a strong hug. “Let me clock back in and I’ll take your order.” She takes off, and no sooner does she leave than a body falls into herseat.
Axel Collins lands across from me, pushing a basket of fries my way. “I just hopped over to have a congratulatory beer. It’s always sweeter when someone else pours it for you.” His dark brows rise into his forehead, a gesture that used to make my stomach pinch with lust—still does, and at the moment, I’m not sure how I feel aboutthat.
“Mojo pours the drinks at The Pelican.” I steal a fry from his quasi-peace offering of abasket.
“Touché. But at the Black Bear I have the anonymity of not being the boss. It’s not always fun being incharge.”
“Join the club. I’ve just learned the samelesson.”
He blinks over at me, a careful pulling tight on his lips. “WithSerena?”
“That would be the one. She wants to befriends.” I grab the ketchup and squeeze a ball in the corner of the basket. “I’m used to being theboss.”
“It’s no fun being the boss when no one wants tolisten.”
“Hear,hear.”
He raises a fry to mine, and we tap them likeswords.
“You know, being friends with your sibling is a special thing.” Axel zones in on the floor and goes somewhere else entirely. His affect grows dark, and instantly Iknow.
“You’re thinking about her, aren’tyou?”
“I am.” He scratches the back of his neck a moment. “Emilia was the first real friend I everhad.”
“She was a good one. You know, as hokey as it sounds, Emilia was the first friend I ever had, too. She could make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and we’d talk for hours about anything and everything. In a weird way, she reminded me a lot of my mom—the good parts.” My throat tenses with aknot.
“Lex”—Axel reaches across the table and takes up my hand—“you don’t know how much that means to me to hear that. Thank you. I know Emilia would have appreciated it,too.”
“She was family.” I give his hand a squeeze, unable to let go. You hear of people getting stuck to a livewire, and that’s exactly what Axel Collins had become in my life, a livewire I couldn’t let go of if I tried—I don’t want to. “You are, too.” His eyes flicker to mine. The muscles in his jaw redefine themselves as he looks to me with renewedhope.
“Lex—do you forgiveme?”
“For that Abby Wilcoxdisaster?”
He gives a slightnod.
“Not on yourlife.”
“Geez.” He ticks his head back a moment. “What is it going to taketo—”
