18
TERA
Shit. I'm nervous. Linc and I are walking up to the door of this huge mansion Xan calls Casa Falling Down and I can't help it. My jaw drops. I don't belong here. This… this isso much. I'm the girl from the wrong side of the tracks and Xan's always been from the rich side. Right now, I'm feeling that distance, even if I've made more than a good living for myself.
"Relax, Tera," Linc says.
I wipe my hands on my jeans. "Easy for you to say. This is it. Do or die. Yes or no. Either he's gonna be happy to see me or he's gonna throw me out."
"Jesus. Stop freaking out. Heaskedyou to come here, remember?"
"Yeah, sure,two years ago!" I retort.
"Do you really think he'd take it back?" Linc asks.
I shrug. I've heard about his family. I've heard about Lucy. I know all about her and I don't like it. But then, there are things he doesn't like about my life, either—though, those things, or people, as they were, have been left behind.
Linc presses the doorbell. We hear voices—lots and lots of voices. Loud voices. I step a little to the left, slightly behind Linc.
"It'll be all right," he encourages.
I look up to meet his eyes. "What if it's not?"
"Then, little sister, we leave," he says quietly.
"I can't ask you to do that again."
"You aren’t, and you never did. That was my decision, and this would be as well," he corrects.
"But what about you and –"
I'm cut off when the door opens and a cute little pixie of a girl greets us.
"Merry Christmas!" she shouts.
"Merry Christmas," Linc and I answer with grins.
"Oh boy," I whisper as Jace Warner opens the door further.
"Didn't we just talk about opening the door by yourself, Kadi?"
"Daddy," she says, clearly exasperated. "Uncle Jesse said we have more security than Fort Knox. I think I'm safe."
Jace laughs as he looks up at us. "Seven going on thirty."
Linc and I laugh.
"Can I help you?" Jace asks, scratching the back of his head.
"Um…" I begin, a little star struck. "We're looking for Xander and the guys."
"We're friends, not stalkers," Linc clarifies.
Jace nods. "Yeah, there's no way you'd make it past security if you weren't on the list."
Linc nudges me with his elbow. "See? We're on the list."
I nod stiffly. I'm not feeling real reassured right now.
