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She sighed. “You sound like Mom. She didn’t have a lot of boyfriends.”
I smiled. “Neither did I.”
“No freaking way.You?” she croaked.
I nodded. “I was very unpopular. It gets better.”
“Yeah. My brother is madly in love with you.” She blushed.
“I don’t know about that, but he’s mad in the head,” I joked, and she laughed. Then, the boat slowed to a stop.
I grinned. “Let’s snorkel.”
Darling returned with me with her chin up, even though I knew it was hard for her. Perhaps she showed strength since Apollo had returned from below deck. We all climbed down into the crystalline water. Once underwater, it was like entering a new world, with coral, sea fans, and schools of fish swimming right next to us. I kicked back up to the surface to catch my breath and immediately went back under to explore. Paul swam beside me, and we both went back to the surface and took off our snorkels. He pulled me back under for a kiss.
When we came up to breathe, he stopped swimming and stared at me. I couldn’t make out what he was thinking.
I grinned broadly. “What’s up, Mr. Crane?”
“Thank you for being so kind to my sister.” There was no humor, just warmth.
“Thank you for bringing me to Neverland.”
Paul chuckled. “You sound like Lily.”
I had instantly grown fond of Lily. She was full of love and kindness and made everyone around her feel like they were the most wonderful person in the world.Paul did that too.So, it was an enormous compliment that I sounded like Lily. I’d love to be her, to know the true love of a Crane.
“How was this visit like Neverland?” he asked.
I went quiet and thought for a few moments. “It’s faraway and magical, but you must grow up.”
The way Paul forced Darling to face her pain seemed cruel at first. But I understood he wanted her to live in reality and not a dream world. She would grow up a lot stronger for it.
Darling glanced over at Paul, and even though she was scowling at him, a blind man could see she wanted to make things right with her big brother.
“I’ll be right back.” He kissed me.
By the time we were at the dock again, Paul managed to get Darling to crack a smile. Their love for each other was more significant than disagreements. And now it was time for me to change my life.
I took out my phone and called Mom again. Although we talked and she was positive, there was still a lingering disappointment of my choice to stay with Paul. It went straight to voicemail, which usually meant she was working. Still, I left her a message.
“I asked myself if I’d do it all over again with Paul, and my answer is yes. You haven’t told Dad yet, and I can’t keep you from doing it. Even though it hurts me to think he may not be proud of me, I have no regrets about my choice. I love Paul for the good man I’ve come to know. You and Dad are the most important people in my life. I love you. I don’t expect you to agree, only to continue to love me. And that’s enough for me.”
Ihad no time to prepare for meeting Justus Black backstage at Madison Square Garden. Xander and I planned to leave for the concert from his dorm. When he opened the door, he was still in one of his sleep T-shirts and leggings. He kissed my cheeks. “Hey. I’m almost ready.”
I shook my head and laughed, then closed the door, justlike old times.Xander ran half an hour late for every concert, dinner, or show. “What are you going to wear?”
“You know there’s order in this chaos. Besides, we have two and a half hours, and Justus’s not the opening act.”
He was right. I came early because I was afraid if I stayed at home, I’d talk myself out of going at all.
I put on music and watched him try on a few outfits. And after much preening, he finally settled on a fishnet shirt, sequin jacket, rubber pants, and platforms.
He added a bit of eye shadow and liner to his green eyes before his closet mirror. “Damn, I’d fuck me.”
I laughed. “Is that what you tell Paola?”
He grinned and put on gloss. “I do. I’m introducing her to threesomes. We’re taking on that rugby player I almost set you up with a while ago. It turns out he’s bisexual and is surprisingly limber for such a big guy.”
