“The second option Jules said.”
Scandalously slutty.
A slurry of inappropriate thoughts plays havoc with my heart rate.
“Nice try.”
Fallon laughs again, a rich sound that makes my stomach flip. “See you soon, Kitten.”
The call ends.
“You’re welcome,” Julien says smugly, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
“I hate you.”
“You love me.”
I don’t dignify that with an answer, but the goofy smile tugging at my lips betrays me anyway.
Chapter Fifteen
FALLON
Sisters Are a Pain in the Ass
As soon asI hang up with Elizabeth, my phone goes off. Planning to ignore it and enjoy my coffee, I give in and answer when I see it’s Aurora. I’m surprised she waited until seven—five her time in Utah—to call. My siblings are nosy as hell. Jordan woke me up at the asscrack of dawn. Then Tati and Harper called.
“Hey, little A.”
Her face is a ghostly white under the harsh light of her phone.
Aurora points at me through the screen with concern. “Holy shit! What is that thing on your face?”
Fuck, is there a bug on me? I swipe at my cheeks and forehead. I hate spiders. Please don’t let it be a spider. I glare at her when she laughs.
“There’s nothing on my face, is there?”
Aurora’s heart-shaped face is a mask of innocence. I’m not fooled for a second. She’s a handful of trouble. Just ask JD.
“This thing right here,” she says seriously and takes a finger to draw her mouth at the corners into a smile. “I’ve never seen it on your face before.”
“I smile.”
“You smirk. There’s a huge difference. Happy looks good on you, brother,” she says.
Aurora was the first half-sibling Trevor and I found, and as much as I love my other brothers and sisters, she holds a uniquely special place in my heart. She and I also had very similar upbringings and survived horrible abuse at the hands of our parents. We’re so alike in so many ways, it’s probably why she and I are as close as we are.
Aurora started working for me at my nonprofit once she graduated from Duke. She’s now the director of the organization—and about to become the head of it all once I tell her that I’m retiring soon. My days of traveling around the world are done. No more running away. Taking my own advice, it’s time I man the fuck up and fight for the woman I can’t live without.
Opening the French doors that lead out to the balcony from my bedroom, I lean against the railing and gaze out at the horizon, the sun already a big yellow ball hovering right over it.
“What does Elizabeth like to do for fun?”
“Depends on the context,” Aurora replies. “But full disclosure. Her life hasn’t been about anything fun since Ryder died. When it comes to Charlotte, Chris, and Marcus, she’s all hands on deck. She treats herself as an afterthought, if that.”
My sisters—Aurora, Tati, and Harper—adore Elizabeth. Elizabeth met Tati first during our “Finding Elizabeth” world adventure when we stayed at my sister’s house in Barcelona. They kept in touch afterward and have been tight ever since. How Elizabeth came to know Aurora and Harper are interesting stories. Kitten used to talk about fate all the time, and I’m pretty sure that fate had a hand in the three of them meeting.
“Hold on. My coffee is ready,” Aurora says.
