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Annabel flicked her fingers in Scarlett’s direction. “I probably shouldn’t have even been surprised. You guys have been spending a lot of time together. It was bound to happen.” There was a hidden ache in her words, one that was barely discernable, but Scarlett heard it.
“Are you sure it’s okay? Because I’ll break up with him, really.”
For the first time since Scarlett had confessed, Annabel seemed to be staring back with clarity. “Go for it. Date him. We haven’t been all that close lately, right? I might as well share you with my brother.”
“Is that what this is about?” Scarlett gaped at Annabel. She’d imagined all sorts of reasons for Annabel not to want Scarlett dating her brother, but this wasn’t one of them. “Annabel, it’s not like that.”
The waitress returned, but this time she held two flutes that she placed in front of Annabel, to which Annabel made an appreciative noise. “Thisis what I’m talking about. We’re going to have to celebrate this one, right, Scar.”
Scarlett eyed the drinks uneasily. “You’ve already had two on an empty stomach. Don’t you think you should slow down?”
“How about you don’t tell me what to do, and I won’t tell you who to date? Sound good? Come on, we came out here to have fun. So, let’s have a little bit of fun.” She gestured toward Scarlett’s untouched drink. “Don’t leave me hanging.”
Scarlett forced a smile, realizing that this might just be how Annabel needed to cope with this information. After the news settled, she’d probably be better at discussing her feelings and they could get to the root of the problem. “How about you have the fun, and I’ll get us home safe.” She needed to stay clear-headed for the drive home.
Over the next hour, Annabel had at least three or four more mimosas while not even touching her French toast. She might have had a bite of her parfait, but then again, it mostly looked stirred up.
By the time Annabel started talking a little too loud and obnoxiously, Scarlett knew it was time to herd her out to the car and get her home. Annabel draped herself across Scarlett’s shoulders and laughed loudly as they exited the building. “This place was actually pretty good,” she slurred. “I didn’t know that having mimosas could be so freeing.”
“Yeah,” Scarlett grunted, “I don’t think they thought someone would take them at their word and keep ordering the mimosas either.” She adjusted her hold on Annabel as she opened her car door and helped her friend inside.
Annabel’s head lolled as she peered up at Scarlett. “Can you take me to your place?”
Scarlett’s brow furrowed. “Sure… but why?”
Her friend laughed. “Because Wade is going to kill me.”
Again, confusion flooded Scarlett’s entire being. “Why would he be mad?”
This time Annabel snorted. “Because two days ago, I got my six-year chip.”
“A chip?” Scarlett stared through her friend. What was she even talking about?
“You know, for AA.”
Her whole body went cold and her stomach bottomed out. Scarlett’s first instinct was to yell at Annabel for not telling her. But how could she do that when they hadn’t been close enough for her to confess she was in AA in the first place? She wanted to yell at Elijah for keeping this from her as well. If she’d known, she wouldn’t have brought Annabel to the restaurant in the first place. It had been a recipe for disaster.
But watching her friend now, she knew yelling wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead, she gently pulled the seatbelt around her. “Yeah, I’ll take you to my place.”
She shut the car door and leaned against it, squeezing her eyes shut. What was Elijah going to say?
23
Elijah
Elijah didn’t like it. Not one bit.
The message he got from Scarlett had been vague enough to make his anxiety levels rise, and he continued watching the road every time a new vehicle flew by. All he knew was that Scarlett had told Annabel and now there was a problem.
What kind of problem? Was she mad? If so, then why didn’t they come home earlier so they could have a discussion that included him?
His focus suffered as he did his work. Colorado Springs was too far away for him to be dealing with any of this. Maybe the ride home would be enough to help clear the air. It should be, right?
All of these thoughts and more continued to crush him.
By the time Scarlett’s car pulled up, his nerves were frayed. He hurried to her side of the car first, but she opened her door fast and darted around the front of the car. “Hurry, she said she’s going to throw up.”
“What?” he barked.
