“Hey.” Jacob’s voice got serious. “I’m being serious. I’m rooting for you. I’m not Mom.”
I sighed and sat in my chair. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Are you going out with your new friends on a Friday night?”
I smirked. “No. Anotherfriend.”
“A date?” Whatever Jacob was doing, he’d gotten up because I could hear his boots against his office floor.
“Stop,” I groaned. “It’s casual. I made a bucket list?—”
“A bucket list?”
I sighed, feeling the weight of it all. “Yeah. I figure it’s only a matter of time before Mom forces me to come back and threatens to cut me off from my inheritance or disowns me from the family if I don’t marry one of her choices. So, I made a bucket list—things I want to do before she tries to marry me off or drag me back.”
“Uh-huh,” Jacob grumbled, sounding completely unconvinced. “And what does that have to do with your not-a-date tonight?”
“It’snota date.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s just an older brother of one of the kids from my school. We’re going to watch the sunset by a lake.”
“That definitely sounds like a date, Charlie,” Jacob said, his tone pointed.
“It’s not,” I laughed. “I promise.”
“What’s the guy’s name, then? I need to?—”
“Absolutely not.” I shot out of the chair. “You’re not looking him up. I’m not telling you his name, and do not tell Mom.”
Jacob groaned. “Fine. You be safe, and if it becomes something serious, you promise you’ll tell me?”
“If it ever were to be serious”—it won’t be—“I’ll tell you his name.”
“Alright, Char. I’m looking . . .”
I was only half listening to my brother when I noticed a familiar glitter backpack at my door. Evie was standing there, and as my eyes moved up, I saw Austin beside her, giving me a wave. His long blonde curls hung loosely around his face, framing his piercing blue eyes that seemed to stand out evenfrom a distance. He was so tall, towering in the small hallway, and it was almost amusing how much space he seemed to take up. His presence was commanding, but there was a softness to his expression that made it hard to look away. The resemblance between him and Evie was uncanny.
Jacob kept talking on the other end, but Evie knocked on the door, gesturing for me to come out. I held up a finger, signaling for her to wait, and quickly grabbed my school bag.
“Hey, Jacob,” I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you later this week, okay?”
“Be good, Char.”
“Always.”
I hung up and made my way to the door, shutting off the light as I left.
“Austin says you’re coming with us in our car?” Evie asked as I closed the door behind me.
“I guess so?” I looked up at Austin, who was beaming.
I wondered if he knew how safe he felt. I didn’t know the guy, but he radiated warmth.
“We can get your car from the school lot on the way back? If you don’t mind dropping Evie off first?”
“Yeah. No problem.”
Austin nodded, then looked down at his sister. “Alright, bud, show us the way out.”
Evie happily skipped ahead of us, her glittery backpack shining in the light.
