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“What if something happens?” I whisper gruffly, before I can stop myself.
In the corner of my eye, Shawn nods. “It could.”
My nostrils flare and I glare up at him through my lashes. “Not fucking helpful.”
He watches me expectantly. Waiting…
For what, I have no idea.
Next to him, Phoebe starts to fidget, growing restless.
“Mase—“ she starts to say, when our waiter returns—a young guy, probably sixteen or seventeen at best—putting a much appreciated halt to our conversation.
I blow out a sigh of relief as he grabs Shawn and Phoebe’s dishes first. He glances at mine. My burger’s half-eaten and drowning in the ketchup and potato soup I made. “You still working on that?”
I give a short shake of my head, handing it to him. “You can take it. Thanks.”
He nods, stacking it on top of the others. “Anything else I can get you guys? Dessert? Coffee?”
“Nah, we’re good man.”
Setting the plates on the table, he pulls out his order pad and jots something down, before handing it to me. “Just take this to the counter when you’re ready to pay. No rush. Have a great rest of your night.”
The three of us murmur back ourthanksandyou too.
He goes to turn, but pauses, and looks over to Phoebe. “Love the shirt by the way.”
Phoebe sits up straight, eyes rounding. And then she flashes him one of her mega-watt smiles, the kind that showcases the little dimple in her cheek and crinkles her gray-blue eyes. “Thank you!”
My gaze darts over just in time to catch the waiter’s wink before he walks away.
Brows raised, I look to Shawn to see what he makes of this, my mouth ticking up in the beginnings of a smile. But he’s already staring down at Phoebe, brow furrowed in blatant concern.
My gaze snaps to my sister and something wilts in my chest, stealing my amusement as fast as it came.
Just like that, everything else falls away, taking my anxiety from a moment ago with it.
She’s blinking at the table, gaze far-off, her smile dimming just as fast as it came. She’s always been so expressive, to the point that even the least empathetic person could likely read her from a mile away.
I can practically feel her tumbling off the edge of whatever high she just felt. No jutting rocks to grab to to slow her down.
“Shawn,” I say. I jerk my chin at him, and slide him my wallet. He rolls his eyes, shoves it off, grabs the bill, and heads for the counter to pay, digging out his own wallet in the process.
Wetting my lips, I suck my lip ring, fiddling with it as I drag my gaze back to Phoebe.
“Hey, Squirt.”
She swallows a couple times before finally meeting my gaze. She smiles, but there’s a shakiness to it that absolutely guts me.
“It’s okay,” I say, though I’m not really sure what I’m referring to. The fact it’s okay a boy complimented her. That he outright drew attention to the fact he’s assuming the shirt means she’s trans and made it known he’s okay with it. To the fact his cheeks burned red after that, clearly betraying his attraction to her.
He was shooting her curious looks since we got here and he came over to take drink orders. I don’t know if she caught that, but I did. Shawn too, I’d bet.
And as much as the overprotective big brother part of me wants to pounce on the kid…
Figuring out and fixing what put that look on my little sister’s face is all that matters right now.
Phoebe looks around, her cheeks darkening, gaze lost, and I know that look—even if it’s been years since I last saw it, Iknowit. “Sorry…I just…” Her voice softens, fading, and she shakes her head. “I don’t know what just happened.”
