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Eddie smirked. “Now you know how I felt when I walked in. I’m sorry. Truly. I’m not just sorry I ruined your night. I’m sorry I jumped all over both of you for something you’ve obviously already worked out. But he’s nice to you?”
“The nicest,” I said with a smile.
“Now you’re just mocking me. It’s a real question, Carmen.”
“But it makes me feel like you don’t trust my judgment at all. I’m—” I stopped myself, suddenly realizing maybe I’d done the same thing to myself. Not trusting my own judgment because of mistakes that happened in the past, things I couldn’t go back and change, only learn from.
I made Isaac promise to be kind to me if things didn’t work out. What kind of trust did that show?
“What is it?” Eddie asked, looking concerned.
I laughed to myself, knowing exactly why Eddie throwing my words back at me bothered me so much. “I’m not casually dating. I’m not dipping my toe in here. I’m serious about him, and he’s serious about me.”
“Carmen. Are you sure about this?”
I shrugged. “Get on board, brother of mine. Isaac’s going to be around. You might even catch us kissing again.”
“Fine.”
“Here. At the main house. By his truck. Next to my Beetle. In the van.”
“Yeah, I get it. Don’t worry, I’m going now.” He stood and put his chair back.
“I was making a point, not trying to drive you away. Are you here for a while then?” Tucson wasn’t that far away, but a two-hour drive was not something you did on a whim.
“I’m sleeping at the house tonight. Má wants me to change out all the air filters tomorrow and do yard work, and about a million other little tasks Pá can’t do right now.”
“He’ll be supervising, I assume.”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll come and keep you two company.” Eddie and I hadn’t seen a whole lot of each other, and as much as I felt like wringing his neck at the moment, I also wanted to spend time with him.
Eddie rolled up the bag of pretzels and found a chip clip on the counter. “What about Zac? Or Issac, I guess. Sorry, I forgot. Will he be tagging along, too?”
I saw how much it killed him to ask, and it made me feel like the most loved sister in the world. Well, second most. Gia would always be everyone’s favorite.
“Would you be okay with that?” I put my hands up in a plea, and then realizing what I was doing, I stuck them behind my back.
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Invite him over.” He gestured to my phone. “And call him so he knows you still loooove him.”
“Thanks, I think I will.”
It wasn’t until Eddie left that I realized his last teasing remark hadn’t fazed me at all. Because I did love Isaac. I always had. First as a friend, and now, I wasn’t quite sure yet. Maybe it was time to find out.
Chapter 34 - Isaac
I had just changed into comfortable sweats when Carmen called. I sat on the edge of my bed, mentally preparing myself for whatever she needed from me. No matter what, I’d promised to always be her friend, and kissing her tonight hadn’t changed that. If we became friends who had once dabbled in becoming more, I would do that for her.
I picked up before it went to voicemail. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. Your greeting has a downer quality to it I’d like to remedy.”
“There’s a reason for that, and you know it.” I imagined she’d kicked Eddie out of there right after I left, and the thought didn’t sit well with me. Everything the guy said was a gut punch of truth, and just because Carmen was over it didn’t mean he had to be. I was the reason Carmen gave up on trusting guys. I was the reason she doubted what she had to offer. Foryears. Her brother deserved to feel a little righteous indignation.
“What is it I know?” Carmen asked, a little sauciness entering her voice. I liked it way more than I should, but I wouldn’t give in on this.
“That Eddie made some good points.”
