Lexi smiles. “Thank you. I think as soon as Abigail starts sleeping through the night, it will be a little easier.”
“She’s still waking up?” Mom asks.
“Only a couple times, and now it’s more out of routine than to eat. The women in that moms’ group I’m in said to let her cry it out, but I just can’t do it.”
“You have to do what’s best for you and your daughter,” Mom says. “I remember when Georgia was little and…” She trails off, realizing she was about to mention the time before she met Lexi’s dad. She doesn’t like to talk about those times. She was married to my biological father and from the little I know, he wasn’t a good man. After she was with Tristan, he went after her. They fought and she ended up shooting him in self-defense.
“Anyway.” She clears her throat. “People will give you their opinions, but at the end of the day, Alec and you are her parents and decide what’s best.”
“I agree,” Alec says, walking in and sitting next to Lexi. “If we want to let Abigail lie with us at five in the morning, while she kicks the shit out of my ribs, then we can do that.”
Everyone laughs, and Lexi groans. “I might’ve started a bad habit. I was just so tired and our bed is so comfortable.”
“And Abigail agrees,” Alec says with a wink.
“And how are you doing?” Mom asks, turning her attention to me.
“Good.”
She raises a single brow, silently saying, “You’re going to have to give me more than that.”
“I’m okay, I promise,” I insist. “Just working…”
“You’ve been doing more than that,” Chase says, walking in with a tray of burgers. “We went to get manis and pedis the other day, and then lunch. We went dancing at Club Illusion the other night, went to a bonfire Friday night, went to the farmer’s market yesterday… Made homemade flatbread and watched way too many of those Paul Walker movies. We even went swimming and did facials this morning. You should feel my skin… Smooth as a baby’s ass.” He rubs his hand down his face, and I giggle, remembering the facials we did this morning. He doesn’t even know what a baby’s bottom feels like…
At the same time, Lexi and Mom both whip their heads around to look at me. “You did all that?” Lexi asks. “I knew about the nails, but I didn’t know you were out painting the damn town red.”
“I’m the new Lexi,” Chase says. “Only manlier and sexier, and way more fun.” He winks at me, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I’d hardly call it painting the town… I was missing you and Chase got me out of the house.” I pray my face isn’t showing any of the feelings I’m catching toward him. I have to keep reminding myself we’re just friends, but it’s hard when I already started developing feelings for him before he pulled the brakes.
Lexi gives me a speculative look, not taking her eyes off me for several long seconds. “We definitely need to have a sister day soon.”
I force a smile, remembering when every day was a sister day. Now we have to plan one because everything is changing, and I need to accept that.
It’s time to find my perfect path.
Chase
“So, you want to tell me what’s going on with you and Georgia?” Alec asks, jumping off the treadmill and walking over to where I’m lifting weights. He grabs a paper towel from the nearby dispenser and wipes down his face. When we’re not putting out fires, we’re usually either working out, eating, doing chores, or sleeping.
I set the weights down and walk over to the legs station. The gym here isn’t big, but it has everything we need to get a good workout in while we’re on shift.
“What do you mean?” I ask, playing dumb. I know damn well he’s about to hit me with the third degree. Alec’s been friends with Georgia since they were little, and he’s just as protective of her as he is of his wife.
“You know what I mean.” He presses his hand against the leg weight so I can’t open it. “You took her out to a club, to hang out at Carter’s bonfire. Lexi’s worried.”
“Lexi needs to focus on herself.” I don’t mean for the words to come out as harsh as they do, but it is what it is. The entire reason I was hanging out with Georgia to begin with was because of Lexi.
“Seriously? What’s your problem with my wife?”
“I don’t have a problem with your wife,” I tell him, standing back up since I’m apparently not going to finish my workout. “My problem is the fact that Georgia was in tears because she misses her sister so much.”
Alec’s face falls. “We offered for her to move in with us.”