LARISSA
“What are you thinking?”
I smiled at my sister. Usually, short rib tacos and margaritas made everything better, but I hadn’t touched my lunch since the waitress set it on the table.
“Well . . .” Zara pressed. “Are you moving here?”
Xavier had flown me to Atlanta, rolling out the proverbial red carpet to persuade me to join The Pure Talent team.
“They’re covering your relocation expenses,” she reiterated. “We can go house shopping, and they’ll pay you while you move. The kids will love having you closer. We’ll be able to spend more time together and I won’t have to worry as much about you being alone.”
“Do you really worry about me that much?”
“Every day.”
Frowning, I asked, “Why?”
“Because . . .” She reached across the table, and I placed my hands in hers. “Since we were little, you wanted to have a family. A devoted husband, babies, and a big-ass house with a car in the garage that you wouldn’t drive. Then, it all fell apart. Yes, you try to act like it doesn’t bother you. You wear a bomb-ass, kick-ass, boss-bitch, fuck-you-and-yo-mama-too mask every single day. But I was with you when you got married and I was there when you filed for divorce. I saw the pain in your eyes, felt the sting of your tears against my neck when I hugged you. I held your hand when you had your surgery. Bitch, you’re doing a good job being fabulous, but I worry you won’t have anybody there to catch you if you fall or give you a shoulder to cry on.”
A tear spilled from my eyes and I dashed it away quickly. “Stop,” I whispered.
“If someone hurts you, it’ll take my ass four hoursandLA traffic to get to you.IfI can get a flight out.”
I giggled as more tears fell. “Girl, you’re stupid. I know how to kick somebody’s ass.”
“But you know how it is. Touch my sister, and I touch you.”
Silence stretched between us.
“So come to Georgia, bug the shit out of X, make good money at Pure Talent, and maybe meet a man worthy of your love.”
“He won’t be in Atlanta.”
Zara studied me, then a slow smile spread across her face. “Because he’s in Michigan?”
“Yes.”
“Finally!” She smacked her hands on the table. “Shit, Rissa, I’ve been waiting on you to tell me you were fucking Asa for years.”
I blinked. “What?”
“X saw him leaving your hotel room after Duke’s wedding.”
“No.”
My sister nodded. “Yep.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wantedyouto tellme. Besides, sometimes dick is temporary. I didn’t know you’d still be getting busy with him two years later.”
“Now I feel stupid.”
“Honestly, I thought it was a one-and-done. Until Mom told me you were still doing it,” she added under her breath.
I wasn’t surprised that my mother spilled the tea to Zara. My mother was nothing if not consistent. But my sister had entered Paityn territory. She hadn’t even let on that she knew anything and I talked to her every single day.
“Thank you for not saying anything.”
