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My decision is taken away when she turns. She startles when she sees me and frowns before her expression clears, then Ana lowers her eyes respectfully. “I’m so sorry. I thought I was alone. Please forgive my outburst,” she starts, her lips trembling, though she tries to hide it. She always was too caring.
“Outburst? Come on, Annie, you know I’m the outburst queen.”
She gasps and her head jerks up. Her eyes widen as she freezes, probably from the use of her nickname—the one only I use. I see her confusion. Do I really look that different?
Pulling my glasses down, I smile, and she recoils. “Hi, sister.”
“Nova?” she whispers before her hand comes up to cover her mouth, and then she steps back. I grab her arm quicker than she can react as her heel catches on the upturned earth and she stumbles. I steady her, and she jerks her arm away like I burned her.
“It’s me.” I nod solemnly, my fists clenched to keep in the warmth and softness of her skin that’s so familiar and different from my scarred flesh. “Been a long time.”
“You’re dead.” She shakes her head and squeezes her eyes shut as she pinches herself.
“I see you’re still doing that.” I chuckle, unable to help myself. “Annie, I’m not dead. It’s really me.”
“No, no, I’m finally going crazy. I knew it would happen,” she rambles, her cheeks turning pink. She peeks out of one eye and squeaks when she sees me, and I can’t help but grin wider.
“Annie, stop. You’re not going crazy. I promise it’s me. It’s Novaleen.”
“No, you’re dead!” she yells.
“Your favourite colour is pastel blue. You mumble to yourself when you’re tired or when you think no one is around. You like to talk your thoughts out loud. You like to wear heels to work so that people have to look up to you instead of down on you.” I hesitate. “You’re scared of thunder and always used to climb into bed with me—”
“Stop!” she begs, tears brimming in her big eyes before they fall as she stares at me. “It’s you; it’s really you.”
I nod mutely as she continues to stare at me. “He said you died.”
“He would.” I snort. “I’m not—”
“But that means you left,” she mumbles, thinking out loud, and her eyes jerk back to mine and narrow. “You left! I thought you were dead! I mourned you! What the hell is wrong with you?” she rants. “You just left . . . left me alone. Your own little sister. Not a letter, a phone call. Nothing. You let me grieve you and miss you. You left me all alone.” Her voice catches, and I flinch. Pain blooms within me, matching what I see in her eyes before anger replaces it, tinged with sadness. “Why? Why did you leave me? Us? And why come back after all this time? Why today?”
“Annie,” I start, stepping closer. She stumbles back and holds her hand out as if to physically ward me off.
“No! Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I ask, frowning.
“Call me that like nothing has changed. You can’t just fucking walk back into my life like you never left!”
“Annie—Anabel,” I correct when she twists her lips in anger. “Please, let me explain. I never wanted to leave—”
“Stop!” she snaps, looking at me sadly now. “It’s too late, Nova. I don’t want your lies and excuses. For ten years, you had a chance to come back or reach out. No matter what happened, you made a choice to leave and start a life without us, without me. No, it’s too late. Stay the hell away from me!” She flees, hurrying past me as if she’s running from demons from hell, but not before I see the tears in her eyes.
Shit, that went well.
I want to hit something, and my eyes narrow on the overturned dirt.This is your fault, asshole.I spit on his grave and turn to follow her, but she’s already gone. My shoulders slump as I head back to my bike. I’ll have to keep trying. Now that he’s dead, there’s nothing keeping me from my sister, and despite my nomadic and scary life, I miss her.
Seeing her reminded me of how close we are—were, and how much I love her and want her in my life.
I refuse to let him ruin everything, even in death.
FOUR
We watch her stride back to her bike with her head held high and lips turned down in anger. We catch a glimpse of her narrowed eyes before she pulls her glasses back on and swings her leg over her ride. She stays settles there and sighs before she looks to the sky as if searching for help. I can’t help staring also, but not at the blue horizon, at her.
She’s stunning.
She’s the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on. I know why we are here, but I can’t seem to care as I watch her, analysing each windblown strand of dark hair that I ache to wrap around my fingers. The others talk quietly, discussing how to approach her. She’s highly trained, which we already knew, but if we didn’t, it’s obvious in the way she carries herself, with purposeful fast movements and the weapons she clearly carries. She’s just like us, and it’s evident.
