He didn’t.
That burn was real. And that burn was exactly why I was calling my sister before the cab even pulled up to the resort gates. She picked up on the second ring, sounding entirely too cheerful, and that infuriated me.
“Sis! How was the flight?”
“Airalynn Keys.” I watched the palm trees pass outside the window. “You want to explain to me why Ducane Simmons was on my flight? The flight you insisted I take.”
Silence. Then, “Carter’s client list is pretty confidential; I don’t really have access to?—”
“Airalynn, cut the shit and tell me what you were thinking.”
My sister always had a meddling spirit, which was what being the oldest daughter was like; however, this was even a step too far for her. She knew our history. She knew our present.
“Okay. Yes. I knew.”
“You knew.” I pressed two fingers to my forehead. “You switched my flight, didn’t tell me whose booking it was, and now I’m on my way to a villa with dinner in four hours.”
The silence on her end had a smile living inside it, and I wanted to reach through the phone and jack her ass up.
“Skye, listen. Dinner? With?” she asked, catching on to what I said.
“No, you listen. You had no right. Since when do we keep secrets?”
“No right? I’m your sister.” She didn't even let me get a word in. “I had every right. I put my own life on hold, so you’d have somebody in the room. I earned this meddling the long way.”
“Big sister, not my mother.”
“Wow.” She scoffed. “If you say so, and don’t talk to me about secrets, Skye. Not you.”
“I’m sorry, Air, that was rude. I appreciate you for everything, but I wasn’t ready. I’m not ready.”
I sighed.
“I hear you, Skye, but you’ve been fine for so long I don’t even think you know what that means anymore. I love you and your strength, but fine is not enough for my baby sister. And somewhere under all that doing-it-alone pride of yours, you already know that.”
I didn’t say anything because she wasn’t wrong.
“Carter told me the truth about Bianca being a PR relationship… I felt like you needed to know he never stoppedloving you, Skye. I don’t know what you’re going to do with that, but I needed you to be in the same room with him at least one more time.”
“You could have talked to me instead of orchestrating an ambush.”
“You would have said no. And yes, I overstepped, but shit, Skye, he called me about that night, begging me to talk to you.” She paused again.
“What night?”
“That night, Skye. You don’t need me to spell it out for you. Ducane probably knows you better than anyone, and he knew if anyone could talk you out of throwing what y’all shared away, it was me.”
“And you said nothing.”
“You asked me to trust you, so I did. Even when I disagreed. Anyway, it’s just one dinner. A girl’s gotta eat, right?”
She was right. I would have said no before she finished the sentence, and we both knew it.
“I hate you a small amount right now,” I said.
“I know, sorry.” She didn’t sound the least bit sorry. “But you know I don’t cop pleas for niggas that ain’t worth it.”
“Goodbye, Airalynn.”
