Page 8 of Thorns

“I wondered when you’d be—”

Rose’s next words died in her throat as she processed that the person entering the kitchen was not Luke but a young woman in a navy dress, her white-blond hair hanging perfectly straight past her shoulders and framing her angular face, which bore a strong resemblance to Luke’s. They had the same green eyes and pointed chin. Currently, Luke’s sister’s eyes were wide, and her mauve-painted lips were set in an unspoken question.

“Lenny, I swear there’s an explanation.”

“I would hope so. Are you planning to enlighten me?”

Lenore LeBlanc had been a year behind her brother in school, but that hadn’t stopped her from becoming close with everyone in his circle: Rose and Alex and their other friends Wyatt and Rhys. Rose had considered her like another sister before things with Luke had crumbled, and seeing Lenore tied her stomach in knots. Four years hung in the air between them—four years of news they hadn’t been able to pass on to one another, four years of late-night phone calls Rose had almost made so the two of them could talk for hours about Game of Thrones and the latest bestsellers and how much they missed each other. But every time Rose had started to dial her one-time best friend’s number, she’d stopped herself. How could Lenore forgive her for leaving Luke? Wasn’t it better not to put her in a position to choose which of them to remain loyal to? By removing herself from the equation, Rose had been sure that she was protecting Lenore.

The pain in the other woman’s eyes as she folded her arms across her chest, though, told Rose otherwise.

“Um… do you want some pancakes?”

Lenore shook her head. Determined to diffuse some of the awkward tension as her cheeks burned uncomfortably, Rose patted the stool next to her. With a sigh, Lenore crossed the kitchen, her black heels clicking against the tile as she moved, and took the offered seat. Rose swallowed hard and forced the words past the lump in her throat.

“I’m sorry, Lenny,” she whispered.

“For what?” Lenore asked. “Dumping my brother or dumping me?”

“Both.” Rose closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. “I didn’t mean for either to happen.” She opened her eyes to find Lenore watching her closely, her expression guarded. “What happened with Luke was… complicated, and I didn’t want to put you in a bad position.”

“You don’t think that’s where I ended up?” Lenore frowned, tapping her French-painted nails on the countertop. “I had to try to stop him from spiraling out of control—which, by the way, was damn near impossible—and try to figure out why you suddenly wanted nothing to do with me.”

The words hit Rose like a punch to the ribs, and tears stung her eyes. “That wasn’t it,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought you’d hate me.”

Lenore blinked. “What?”

“After Luke and I split up—after I left, I felt like such a terrible person. He’s your brother. It’s a pretty reasonable assumption that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

Lenore’s expression softened. She laid a hand on top of Rose’s and gave it a squeeze. “Good to know you’re still ridiculous,” she said.

Rose let out a tight laugh, trying hard not to cry. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you everything.”

“Yes, you should have, and I expect every detail. I’m not happy about you vanishing, and I’m not about to miss out on the explanation.” Lenore grabbed the fork Rose had lain down and took a bite of pancake.

At the sight, Rose couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She wiped them away as quickly as they fell, hoping the other woman didn’t notice, but she knew it was probably a lost cause. Lenore had always been a good person, and Rose had missed her more than she knew how to put into words. The ease with which Lenore seemed to be willing to give her another chance was a gift Rose hadn’t anticipated. She reached out and pulled her friend close, and when Lenore hugged her back, Rose held on tightly.

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

“I’m glad you’re back,” said Lenore. “Wait, are you back? Like with my brother?”

Rose pulled away and wiped the tears clouding her vision. “It’s… kind of complicated.”

“I’d say so, considering you’re sitting in his kitchen in your underwear.”

Heat rushed to Rose’s cheeks again, but she couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I didn’t exactly plan that part.”

“So how did it happen? I thought you were with Alex.” Lenore crossed her ankles and leaned forward just a little, like she always did when she was about to hear gossip she was particularly excited about.

“I was. I ended things.”

Lenore arched a plucked brow. “Why? What happened?”

Rose inhaled. “I never stopped loving Luke. I just got overwhelmed and scared, and when—”

She froze as he came into view in the doorway, his jaw set tightly and his expression hard. She hadn’t heard the door open or close; she supposed she’d been too caught up in the conversation to notice it. The enthusiastic greeting she’d been planning for when Luke returned evaporated from her mind, and she shifted on her stool, trying to hide as much of her body as she could with her shirt.

Lenore turned in her seat to face her brother. “What crawled up your ass?” she asked, frowning, as she looked from Luke to Rose.

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