They’ve made it work, and while they had a bit of a rough start, they fit in a way that feels solid and very real.
I watch her for a second longer, then look back at Sera.
“Do you ever think about it?” I ask.
“About what? Liam?”
“Yeah, like how you knew he was … it.”
Alie tilts her head, thinking. “Hard to say because when I met him, we had a very rose-colored-glasses kind of night, you know?”
“Right.” I nod.
She smiles. “But I did trust how I felt while I was with him.”
“How did you feel?”
“Safe,” she says simply. “And seen for who I was as a person, not what my name was. Like, I didn’t have to perform or prove anything to him. I guess part of that was that he didn’t know who I was.”
“Yeah, but you were also attracted to him.” I wiggle my brows. “And I don’t blame you. He’s a beautiful man.”
She laughs loudly. “That definitely helped. It was the hottest night of my life up to that point.”
“So you’ve told me. Several times.” I roll my eyes but laugh.
“What about you?” she asks.
I shrug, watching Sera spin in circles until she falls into a pile of balloons. “What about me?”
“Do you ever think about finding someone like that?”
More often than I used to—that’s for sure. But I don’t say that.
Instead, I say, “Yeah, sometimes.”
“What is it you think you want?”
The question hangs between us. It’s a simple question, but one I’m not sure I know how to answer.
“I want …” I pause, trying to think of the right words. “Someone I can depend on, for sure.”
She nods.
“Someone I can trust,” I continue. “Someone who shows up and never makes me guess where I stand.”
“Mmm.”
“And obviously, I’d want him to blow my mind in bed.” I smile, trying to lighten the mood.
She snorts. “I mean, that’s a given.”
We both laugh, but then she turns to me.
“I’m serious, you know. I want you to be as happy as I am. You deserve the very best. You’re my favorite sister.”
“I know you’re serious, but also … I’m your only sister, so I’m not sure if that holds weight.” I shove her playfully.
“You know I love you. You’re the best big sister a girl could ask for.” She wraps an arm around my shoulders.
