She leans in, lowering her voice. “Something’s going on with you. I can feel it.”
“Can you blame me? It’s been less than two months since you were kidnapped, Ty almost got killed, and our parents fled the country.”
She straightens. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Oh, so we only get to have family therapy sessions about thingsyouwant to talk about?”
She scoffs. “I don’t want to talk about Ty because he won’t return my phone calls.”
Same.
I thought things were on the mend with Ty, especially since him and Rosalie were next to each other at Marcus’s funeral. But that’s the last time I’ve seen him. And clearly, Rosalie is the same as always.
“I’ve dealt with everything else.”
I take a sip of water. “Right.”
“I’m not naive, so stop treating me like I am.”
“What do you want me to say, Jules? I’m not the same person I was when we were kids. Sorry for growing up, I guess.”
“That’s not good enough anymore, Lance.” Her voice cracks slightly, and fuck, I hate that I’m the one putting that sound there. “We almost lost Tyler, wedidlose Bevie if you really think about it, and now you’re shutting me out again…”
My teeth grind so hard my jaw aches. “Jules, I need you to drop this.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m asking you to.”
Merrick appears, slinging an arm around Juliette’s shoulders and wincing. “What’d I miss? Are we fighting? Please say we’re fighting. I could use some entertainment.”
“Nobody’s fighting,” Juliette says.
“Shame.” Merrick smiles at me. “That could change. Here comes the biggest instigator of them all.”
Great.The last thing I need is for Benny to come over here.
I ignore him when he sidles in next to us, my attention pulling back to where Genevieve’s sliding something pink and frozen to Art.
He takes a sip and his nose crinkles.
“Too sweet?”
“Way too sweet.” But he’s laughing and tucking a strand of copper hair behind her ear.
My leg bounces under the bar.
“I’ll make you another one,” she says.
“Just give me a beer instead.”
“Isn’t that what I said?” She grins.
He leans across the bar and presses a kiss to her forehead, and she leans into it, her eyes closing.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.
She’s counting.
