Chapter Nineteen
Talia
“Lis!” I’m jogging toward the jet, arms outstretched as my sister steps off the plane with a huge smile on her face. I embrace her around her purse and jacket, hugging her tightly to me. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’m so glad you came.”
“Oh man, me too.” She laughs in my ear. Her hair smells like pineapple and coconut. Like summer. Like home. She holds me at arm’s length and says, “Where can a girl get a drink around here?” before looking over my shoulder at the shiny Mercedes and exclaiming, “Nice wheels!”
“It’s Archer’s. He lets me drive it.”
She’s already circling the car like a hungry shark. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Let’s start at the townhouse and we can decide where to go from there.” I pop the trunk on the Mercedes, and an attendant loads her luggage.
At my Ohio home, Lis settles in to one of the spare bedrooms. She’s yet to stop remarking on how “freaking gorgeous” the house is. She’s accused me of being blasé about the opulence, and I assured her that my jaw was on the floor for the entirety of the first week I was here.
“So. This is your life now.” She’s in the kitchen, sitting on a stool at the island which gives her a primo view of the fabulous stove. “Little Orphan Annie has found her Daddy Warbucks.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m not an orphan and I do not think of Archer as Daddy anything.” I repress a shiver. Barely. “I call him Kingpin.”
“And you’re Wildflower,” she says without any teasing in her voice. Cradling her glass of pinot grigio, she props her head on her hand and gives me a wistful smile. “You guys are stupid cute.”
“No, we’re not.”
She sips her wine and hums the affirmative before expressing in words, “Yes. You are.”
“Papa called, by the way.”
“Good. I told him to call you back. That you were worried.” Of course she did. “Anything new going on?”
I lean my elbows on the island, my glass of white wine between my hands. “Yes, actually. I have very interesting news. I can have my old job back, thanks to Papa and Brandon working out a deal.”
Lis’s eyes widen. She didn’t know, which makes me feel a bit better that she and Papa weren’t conspiring against me.
“Papa would love it if Brandon and I started dating again.”
“He didn’t,” she says, her voice packed with alarm.
“Oh, but he did.” I swallow the remainder of my wine and tip more into my glass.
“Did you tell him you have a boyfriend? A life? A modicum of pride?”
“In so many words. I’m avoiding him until I can explain I’d like him to stay out of my life without swearing.”
“Well, good luck with that.” She pauses to bite her lip and stare at me as an unpleasant sensation creeps up my spine. “You’re different with Archer. And he’s…” She gestures around the house as if at a loss for words.
“Rich?”
“I was going to say he’s taking care of you. I knew you’d make a face when I said that.” She points at my face, which is screwed into an expression like I just smelled a skunk. “It’s okay, you know, not to be independent all the time. I’m proud of you for living here.”
“This house is in my contract, Lis. I’m not being taken care of. I’m being subsidized for my work on a project.”
“Whatever you have to tell yourself. But you’re different. Subsidized or no. You’re sleeping with him, but are you sharing more than that? Are you sharing meals? Beds? Obviously, you’re sharing a car.”
“Are you trying to freak me out?” Because it’s working. Each detail she points out causes my shoulders to lift. Now that they’re nestled under my ears, I have to admit the thing I didn’t want to admit. And with my sister watching me, alert and knowing, I have no choice but admit it. “He likes me.”
“Duh.” She rolls her eyes.
“I’m afraid he likes me so much he’ll want me to stay here. Like, indefinitely. I’m not moving to Ohio.”