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"You took her away from a shitty situation," Ava counters as she hooks her arm around mine, "and gave her family. People who love her. People who want to spend time with her."
"I overheard her talking to Steve last night," I groan. "She told him she spends all day with Grandma while I work."
"It's the truth," Ava shrugs. "But honestly, who better to leave her with while you're out here taking names and kicking ass?"
"I should be—"
Ava stops walking and steps in front of me. "I swear, Iz, if you tell me one more time you should be anywhere else other than here with me, I'mnevergoing to forgive you. If you haven'tnoticed, I also left my children at home tonight to hang out with you. They're fine."
"You didn't turn their entire lives upside down," I flash my eyebrows at her. "You didn't take them away from their dad."
Ava exhales and crosses her arms over her chest. "Being a parent is about making impossibly hard decisions. You've had to make them all on your own. You don't have to anymore. You have Fallon and Dad. You have me and Jack. You have Aunt Jenny and Uncle Kyle. You have all of us."
"I'm torn," I tell her.
"I know," she nods, her long brown hair curling around her elbow. "But we're spending an hour, two tops, with each other. It's not like you're abandoning Brianna to go on a date. Besides, we haven't had any time together in years. I know you want to be home with her, but Ireallywant to spend some uninterrupted sister time together."
I swallow hard. "You're right. For one hour, I can drink a glass of wine, eat a decent meal, and hang out with my big sister."
"Thank you," Ava exhales as grabs my arm and yanks me toward Angie's Restaurant and Bar.
There's a surprisingly long line to get inside when we turn the corner, so Ava and I wait. A live band is playing in the square and twinkling lights are strung overhead as the cool November air wafts through the crowded area.
I hadn't realized how isolated I'd been until tonight. I didn't make any friends in California other than Steve and I had no family around. I've always been somewhat of a loner, so it's not surprising that I spent nearly a decade without a support system close by. I think it has something to do with being an only child, losing my birth mom at a young age, and then getting adopted shortly after. Getting attached to people is scary because I know that life can implode at a moment's notice. I'mnot sure I've ever really dealt with the part of me that lives in constant fear.
The fear that nothing—absolutely nothing—ever stays the same.
"Izzy!" Angie yells above the crowd while flailing an arm. "Get up here!"
I lead the way to the front of the line, and we're ushered into the restaurant. The atmosphere is friendly and fun. There's an upscale feel with modern, sleek furniture and paintings on the wall, and I can tell Angie and her husband worked hard to make this place something special and unique.
"We're back here," Angie points to the table in the far back.
My heart stops in my chest when I see Brady sitting there with a group of people I've never met before. As if he can sense me in the room, his eyes lock on mine and a chill runs down my spine.
"Ew," Ava groans quietly beside me. "You didn't tell me Brady was going to be here."
"I honestly didn't know," I shrug.
I didn'treallyknow. Brady seems like a busy guy. How was I supposed to know if he was going to be here or not? I might be in charge of his work calendar, but I'm not in charge of his social calendar.
"Sure," Ava scoffs as we stop at the table.
"Everyone," Angie dramatically drags her arms toward me. "This is Izzy and...her date?"
I laugh. "My sister, Ava."
Brady's gaze never leaves my face as I force a smile. I hate social interaction that isn't one-on-one. But I'm here for Angie. I'm here to spend time with Ava. I can suffer through it for one night.
"If you want to take a seat," Angie beams, "I'll grab a waitress and we can order you a drink."
"Sounds great," I nervously reply.
There are only a few empty seats left at the long table. I notice there's an attractive blond beside Brady and two unoccupied seats on the other side of him. Ava notices and rolls her eyes.
"Do you want to sit together?" I ask her as I turn to face her. "Or apart?"
"Fine," she exhales. "But if he tries to talk to me—"
