Losing him had broken something in her. A kind of grief that couldn’t be put into words. It wasn’t just the loss of a person. It was the loss of a tether—the only one who ever trulysawher. He wasn’t just her twin. He was her other half and best friend. Thao’s absence had been the final push she needed to leave Willowbrook. She couldn’t stay in a place that echoed with his laughter, his music, his everything. Sleeping under this roof again felt like crawling into a ghost’s skin.
She wondered whether Thao would be proud of her. Or if he’d be ashamed. No doubt he would’ve hated what she’d done to herself in the worst moments—the drugs and alcohol, the reckless decisions, the self-destruction. She liked to think he’d see how hard she was trying now. Maybe he’d recognize the effort. The fight still left inside of her.
He was the only one she’d ever confided in about the darkness inside her. The dark voice whispered to her in the quiet moments, threatening to pull her under every time she let her guard down.Thao had never judged her for it. He let her be. Let her tag along on all his adventures with Jake.
Jake.
The name sent a spike of emotion through her chest. Anger, hurt, longing. Betrayal. A whirlwind of memories she didn’t want to revisit. His piercing blue eyes always looked right through her. He’d seen too much, judged too quickly… and found her lacking. It was infuriating. Her hands clenched as the memory of their last time together flitted through her mind.
She forced her hands to relax and reached for the door handle, teeth grinding.
If she ever saw Jake again, it would be too soon.
By the time Gia worked up the courage to step out of the car, Carson already had her bags lined neatly on the driveway. She fumbled for her wallet to offer a tip, but he waved her off with a kind smile.
“Miss Kim took care of the gratuity already,” he said warmly as he helped her carry the luggage to the front porch.
He tipped his hat in farewell before climbing back into the vehicle. Gia stood frozen, watching him back out of the driveway, and offered a small wave. Her heart was a tight knot in her chest. She wasn’t ready. Not for this. Not for whatever came next.
It took all of her restraint not to chase after the SUV, to beg Carson to take her with him. The drive had been long but oddly comforting. Aside from the breakdowns. It wasn’t often she allowed herself to be vulnerable around anyone, but Carson had seen more of her than most people in the past year. She hoped he wouldn’t cash in on her mess for a quick paycheck.
“Gia Huy? Is that you?”
She turned at the sound of her name and spotted Minh approaching the screen door, drying her hands on a towel. Her older sister stared back at her as if she were seeing a ghost. She pulled her dark hair into a bun on top of her head, but loose strands still escaped, framing her round face. Gia’s shoulders sagged slightly in relief. At least she didn’t have to knock.
If you haven’t been home in over a decade, do you still get to call it your home?
Minh opened the door for her and helped maneuver the bags over the threshold. Gia definitely over-packed, but she didn’t care. A girl had to be prepared for every situation.
She slipped off her shoes and shut the door softly behind her, hesitating at the entryway. She spoke with Minh over the phone occasionally, but their relationship had been strained. Distant. Gia mostly kept in touch out of obligation and guilt. She still hadn’t met her nieces in person.
Gia placed her shoes on the rack beside the door. Her socked feet on the linoleum reminded her of her childhood. She stood upright only to feel arms wrap around her in a rare embrace. She froze. She couldn’t recall ever having been hugged by her sister before. Or anyone in the family, really. Physical affection had never been their way. Her family showed love through how hard they worked to ensure the family as a whole thrived.
But standing there, being held, something cracked open inside her. Tears welled in Gia’s eyes as she gently placed her hands on Minh’s back and leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder. Minh smelled like home. Like simmering soup and warm spices. It had been a long time since she’d had a taste of a home-cooked meal. True Vietnamese cuisine was not watered down to appease Western taste buds. Gia’s mouth salivated, and her stomach growled at the thought of eating.
Minh chuckled, pulling away enough to smirk.
“Come. I made your favorites. Eat. You’re too skinny.”
Gia offered a grateful smile, silencing the voice in her head that usually warned her not to eat. The one whispering she could always be skinnier.
Not today, Satan. Not today.
She didn’t want to worry about the calories or the consequences. Gia was going to indulge as she hadn’t allowed herself to in years. As much as she hated to admit it, it wasn’t like she had acareer to go back to at this point. Not once the news broke on why she didn’t land the contract.
Gia needed to remember to block Jerry’s calls and texts. No doubt they’d start increasing in frequency when the world found out the news.
She hesitated before removing her sunglasses and setting them beside the ornate dish on the entryway table. She wondered if the drawers still held all the hidden candy her brother used to leave for her when they were kids. A sudden pang struck her chest as she glanced at the corner of the house. Her heart stuttered, and her breathing became shallow.
She hadn’t thought about what it would feel like to see a physical reminder of her brother.
His familiar, teasing voice echoed in her memory.
“Come on, Gia. Are you scared or something?”
Only Thao ever called her Gia, not the Vietnamese version of her name, Gia Huy. The simple act had made her feel less alone when they were kids, trying desperately to fit in. They had both been born in America, while Minh was a toddler when their parents emigrated here. Gia liked to think it was why she tried so much harder than Minh to prove she belonged. Minh always felt comfortable with her heritage, while Gia felt like a stranger visiting.
“Gia Huy, come to the kitchen,” Minh called in perfect Vietnamese. Apparently, Gia could still understand her native language. Speaking it was a different story. She’d be surprised if she hadn’t lost the skill completely in the years since she stopped speaking the language.
