Page 67 of The Golden Hour

Lizzie, Ellie, and Franco are already waiting when I step outside into the balmy morning air.

My smile is ready, my steps steady. Ignoring my uncle, I kiss my sisters’ cheeks in greeting. “Good morning, Lizzie. Ellie, I’m so glad you made it.”

“Not like I had a choice,” she mutters, casting a venomous glance at Lizzie.

Lizzie rolls her eyes. “Spoiled brat. Mom needs to tighten your leash.”

Ellie turns away, arms crossed. Since I’m standing right beside her, I hear her whisper, “Psycho.”

My heartbeat trips. A quick glance Lizzie’s way tells me she didn’t hear. What I once thought was normal bickering between siblings takes on new meaning.

“You’re delusional and paranoid. Keep at it and you’ll end up in a padded room.”

Ellie knows. What that means, I’m not sure. Does she even care? Heartsick, I focus on the driveway as a limo moves slowly through the gate, down the long drive, and finally stops before us.

I hazard a glance at Franco and find him scowling at me. With effort, my welcoming smile holds as the limo’s back door opens.

Vivian emerges first, cell phone to her ear. “Hold on,” she tells the caller. “Girls! So wonderful to see you. You all look lovely. Lord, I am so glad to be home!”

She embraces each of us in turn. Air kisses for all. Then she sweeps toward the house, her conversation about Senator Whoever floating behind her.

“So glad I got up early,” murmurs Ellie, watching her mom disappear inside. Lizzie, Franco, and Enzo follow, the latter two pausing to give me similar, dark looks.

“What did you do?” asks Ellie.

“What do you mean?”

“The uncles only look at someone like that if they’re on their shit list, so what did you do?”

“I told Franco off last week. He’s not happy with me.”

Her eyes, green and sharp and so like Vivian’s, narrow in interest. “Huh. Maybe you’re not as hopeless as I thought.” Her head tilts. “I’ve been trying to figure out what your game is, Calli, but every time I think I have you pegged, you do something unexpected.”

“So do you,” I tell her frankly.

Shadows darken her eyes. “That’s the only way to survive, isn’t it?” she murmurs. “Play by the rules as much as we can, try to carve out a little slice of happiness for ourselves. And when we can’t, run. Some of us even make it out.”

With everything that’s happened, I’m not even surprised.

“You knew all along, didn’t you?” I ask softly.

She shrugs, her soft smile ironic. “Everyone thought you were too stupid to live, but I guess I knew you were too smart to die. What I don’t understand is why you came back.”

“To stop them,” I whisper.

Ellie nods, like my answer was a foregone conclusion. “I guess they were right, after all. Too stupid to live.”

My laughter surprises both of us. Ellie’s lips quirk. “Or maybe not. You’ve definitely changed.”

With a glance at the front door, I ask softly, “Does Vivian know? What you think about…”

She shakes her head. “I never told her. I’m the flashy airhead, remember? The prize mare. They don’t care what I think.”

Dots connect in my mind. “That’s why Lizzie was talking about being married off. She was trying to get under your skin.”

Her sigh is my answer. “It’s what we do. The only normal we have.”

“You know she’s not well.”

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