Page 207 of Losing Faith

“Not like this!” She takes a sharp step forward. “I neverambushedyou or brought in some–some fucking stranger.” She shakes her head as she gives Navi a once over before looking back at her brother. “This fucking hurts.”

“I’m not doing this to hurt you, Lis.” Sire’s voice takes on a more serious tone. “We just needed extra support and—”

“I know how this works.” She paces the kitchen again. “I’ve been a part of these for friends. I know—”

“So you know we’re trying to help,” Navi says softly.

“I know that you’rejusthere to facilitate.” She glances back at us. “Which one of you is going to take charge? Who’s going to woman the fuck up and say something to me? Huh?”

I feel everyone’s eyes on my back, but I don’t say anything.

“It’s not going to be Sire.” She turns her head to the side. “That’s too predictable. I’m sure you all canceled him out and guessed I won’t listen to him.” She turns to her other siblings. “It’s not going to be the twins, they bruise like fucking peaches.”

“Lisette, we—”

“Stop talking, Navi.” She rolls her eyes before glancing behind me. “My guess is Vidia.” She shrugs. “You’ve got tough skin, care about my brother. Go ahead, V. Open the meeting, give it your best fucking shot.”

But Vidia doesn’t say anything.

“Lisette,” I say gently.

Her eyes meet mine and she must read right through me because she shakes her head softly.

“Please just listen to us.”

She looks at me before she lets out a scoff. “Fine,” she mumbles before brushing past me. She flops onto the couch with us. “I have shit to do so let’s just get this over with. Let’s go around in a circle and share what we love about Lis.” She crosses her arms as she leans back in her seat.

I glance over at my best friend and he shakes his head at her before getting up and sitting with us.

Navi is last to sit as she glances around all of us. “Let’s open the circle by—”

Lisette starts to laugh and I glance around the room, but she only laughs harder, so damn hard it seems genuine. “Open the circle? Wow, straight out of an NA meeting huh? This is going to be so much fun. Go ahead, Facilitator. Continue.”

Navi doesn’t acknowledge her outburst. “Let’s start by sharing what we did today.”

I glance at Lisette and she suddenly looks uncomfortable in her seat.

“I’ll go first,” Sire starts. “I went on a walk to clear my thoughts of how this will go because I really want it to go well.”

Lisette rolls her eyes before looking down at her nails.

“Jackson,” Navi turns to me. “Why don’t you go next?”

I swallow the weird taste in my throat before turning to Lis, but then I quickly remember Navi told me not to directly address her the entire time so she doesn’t feel attacked. I turn to Sire instead. “I dropped Isabelle off at my mom’s house.”

In the corner of my eye, I can see Lisette’s head snap up to mine.

“She gave me a hard time and was crying. She overheard that we were coming to see Lissy. She misses her, but I told her she had nothing to worry about.” I turn to Lisette and her eyes are still on me.

“She doesn’t.”

I nod. “I know that.”

She keeps her eyes on me and I desperately want to hold her, but I stay in my seat as everyone shares about their day. It mostly entails things around Lis since we spent the day worrying about her, but they’re subtle about it and no one mentions how we thought she was hurt.

“What’d you do today, Lissy?” I ask when Sire signals at me, but she looks back at her nails before picking on them.

“Nothing much.” She shrugs.

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