But there was the ever-lingering afterimage of Alicia etched into the future I imagined.Taking up too much space for anyone else to fit.
“Are you leaving already?”Lola asked.
Bet sighed.“I should, but I don’t think I can.I’m not ready.”
Lola tilted her head, grinning at her niece’s sleeping face.“I kinda wanna steal her from you.”
“Take a seat.”I jerked my head toward a vacant spot at our table.
“I wouldn’t want to wake her up.”
“You’re missing out.”
“I know,” she sighed.
Sterling scoffed.“Kiss already.”
Lola blushed and rolled her eyes, and for a moment there was a perfect snapshot of what it was like for her to grow up with Sterling as a younger, louder brother.
“That’s what you want to see?”I asked.
Faking a gag, Bet said, “You know what, maybe I am ready to leave.”
“You’re not into that?”Lola mocked.“Watching your sister kiss someone?How very normal of you.”
“In Sterling’s defense, no one has ever accused him of being normal.”
Without looking away from Sasha, Sterling retorted, “You wouldn’t take me any other way.”
Bet leaned past Lola.“Are you giving me an option?”
Lola’s eyebrows climbed up her forehead.“I’d love to go a week without hearingsomethingabout you.”
“It’s not that bad.”He rocked back and forth with Sasha holding his thumbs giggling.
“I will not have you telling me what is or is not bad with the things I have heard ...”
Slowly shaking her head, Bet grimaced.“More than any sister would ever want to know.”
“You should make them sign an NDA.It’d be a public service.”Lola lifted her drink to her lips.
With a shit-eating grin, Sterling said, “I like to think of it that way too.”
Both of his sister’s faces twisted in disgust.
I muffled my laugh, careful not to jostle Melody.
“Speaking of things people say,” Sterling began.“Remi, your name has been thrown around quite a bit lately.”
A sharp spike of unease needled just under my ribcage.“Yeah?”
“Leave him alone,” Bet scolded.
“You’re not curious?”
“Ignore him,” Lola told me.
“About what?”I knew what he was talking about, and I would rather have this conversation with them instead of some other people in town.The news could travel from their lips; mine and Alicia’s past was bound to come out eventually.
