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But as I sat outside, cozy inside a warm jacket, my hands wrapped around a piping hot paper cup filled with coffee as I sat across from my sister on campus, I couldn't shake the sense of dread building in my stomach.
“Okay,” Brecken said, sitting up a little straighter. “You’ve barely touched your coffee. I know something's up.Talk.”
The chatter of college students hustling to and from classes created a chaotic energy around us.
“Brec, I don't want to put my problems on you.”
Brecken rolled her eyes, a slash of anger flaring in them. “That might have worked when I was ten,” she said, planting me with a serious look. “But I'm nineteen now, Aspen. And we're sisters. At some point you're going to have to start treating me like an adult and allowing me to take part in this give-and-take.Because for the lastall of my life, it's been nothing but give from you. Let me help you if I can.”
“I know you're an adult,” I said, emotion clogging my throat. “As much as I would like to still see you as my baby sister who needs me every second of the day, I'm completely aware that you're a grown woman now. And you're doing amazing.” I motioned to the awesome campus around us, the one that we'd worked so hard to get her into. “But that doesn't change the fact that you're juggling a more-than-full-time class schedule.”
“And you've been carrying double shifts, sometimes triple, plus side hustles, all to keep me here. And that’s never stopped you from helping me if I had outside problems. So, we're both in agreement that I'm an adult and I'm doing well, so now it's time for you to let me be your sister and share some of the burden. Whatever's bothering you, I can tell it's big. Our parents didn't reach out again, did they?” Brecken’s eyes flared, worry and fear mixed together.
I quickly waved her off. “No, it's nothing like that,” I said, wanting to assure her. “I haven't heard from them in over a year. And I sure as hell hope that trend continues.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and she took another sip of her coffee. “I'm guessing it's Crossland then?”
My eyes met hers. I could never lie to my sister, despite my desires to leave her in the dark about my current emotional dilemma.
“Crossland then,” she continued, nodding to herself. “I know you usually go to Jesse for this stuff, but I'm here. So talk to me.”
I scrambled around in my mind, trying to figure out where to start. Brecken unfortunately was still in the dark about our arrangement, but today was technically the end of our contract, which meant I was free to tell her whatever I wanted.
Hesitance clung to my insides, making my tongue heavy. But if there was anybody I could trust, it was her.
“I need you to swear not to repeat a word of this,” I said, and Brecken’s eyebrows raised.
She glanced around as if somebody might be listening in on our conversation, though nobody was paying any attention to us or was close enough to overhear. Still, she leaned over the little table we sat at, drawing closer.
“I swear,” she said. “What's up? Oh my gosh, he didn't try to induct you into some weird rich people cult, did he? Blink twice if you need help.”
I laughed, the intensity of her words matched by her playfulness was just enough to shake loose some of the heaviness that I'd been carrying around all day.
“No,” I said reeling in my laughter. I took a deep breath and laid out the story for her in the most basic and quick way I could fill her in. Brecken listened with rapt attention, not interrupting or even making faces that would give me pause. And when I came to the end of it, she had practically finished her coffee and was shaking her head.
“You have over a million dollars?” she asked.
“Not yet,” I said.
“But you will? And you took this role…all to ensure I could stay here?” She glanced around the campus, baffled. “Aspen, you didn’t have to?—”
“I wanted to,” I cut her off. “And even though I may have questioned it in the beginning, you know me. I wouldn’t have stuck around if Crossland had given me any bad vibes. But he never did. He’s amazing…”
“And today's the day?” she asked, her tone drenched in sympathy.
I nodded, my heart returning to its heavier sensation in my chest.
“And you haven't told him?” she asked.
I furrowed my brow. “He's fully aware that today is the end of our contract. He's a brilliant businessman, and there's no way he'd forget?—"
“That's not what I'm talking about,” she cut me off.
“Oh,” I said. “No, I haven't told him that I don't want things to end. I'm not exactly sure how to bring up the subject.”
Brecken chuckled softly, flashing me an almost pitiful look. “I'm talking about the fact that you're totally in love with him,” she said without a hint of hesitation.
A jolt went through me at hearing the secret I’d kept spoken out loud.
