Page 30 of The Sweet Life

“Dad’s right. Stay and have a bowl of soup with us, Mom. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Probably because you haven’t, Gia thought as she lowered herself onto the chair. As uncomfortable as this would be, she wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to spend time with her daughter. Even if Cami was here.

She forced a smile for her sister, who walked into the living room, looking gorgeous in a gauzy white sundress. “Hello, Cami.”

“Gia, what are you doing here?”

Amos stopped pushing his walker, looking from Gia to Cami. “Thought you two were thick as thieves growing up. You used to brag about Gia all the time. Now it’s as if you can’t stand being in the same room together.”

“Dad,” Flynn said, a warning in his voice.

“What? It’s my house. I can say whatever I want. I call it as I see it. And you know what I call this…” he said, letting go of his walker to fall backward into his chair.

Gia had forgotten how well Amos knew her sister. Cami had practically lived at the Monroe house the two years she’d dated Flynn. Gia wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what Amos had to say. Apparently, her daughter wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say either.

“How about I get everyone some soup?” Willow said, jumping up from the armchair beside Gia. “Come on, Cami. You can help me serve.” She looped her arm through Gia’s sister’s, guiding her out of the living room.

Gia watched them go, chewing on her bottom lip. It had been almost a year since Cami had come back into their lives and Willow had learned the truth. It should be easier by now.

Once Willow and Cami had disappeared into the kitchen, Flynn reached over, giving her knee a comforting squeeze. “You okay?”

“Now, why would you ask a darn fool question like that? Of course she’s not okay. Put yourself in her shoes. She raised Willow on her own for twenty-eight years, and did a damn fine job of it, and now you and Cami come along, taking up all of Willow’s time and attention. I’m as much to blame as the two of you, I suppose. My apologies for that, Gia.”

“No, please, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for, Amos. I’m thrilled that Willow has you and Flynn in her life. Her brother and sisters too.” It was true. She’d never felt a single twinge of jealousy about the time Willow spent with hernew family. She was happy for her daughter, and Gia felt bad if she’d given Amos any reason to think otherwise.

“It’s just me she’d rather not have in Willow’s life, isn’t that right, Gia?” Cami said as she walked into the room with a tray for Amos and a challenge in her eyes.

Amos turned in his chair, eyeing her sister with a frown. “What has gotten into you? You haven’t been yourself in months.”

Finally, Gia thought, relieved that she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed something was up with Cami. Then again, maybe the reason Gia had noticed was because she’d been the one on the receiving end of her sister’s moods. Gia inwardly rolled her eyes at herself. She bore some responsibility for Cami directing her anger at her. Not that she’d share that with her mother or Eva.

Gia expected her sister to brush aside Amos’s question with her usual dazzling smile, but instead Cami stood there with tears rolling down her sun-kissed cheeks. Gia’s first thought was,Why can’t I cry like that?Then she reminded herself that her sister was an Academy Award–winning actress. Of course she’d know how to ensure her mascara and nose didn’t run.

Cami sniffed daintily as though to prove Gia’s point, but then she did something that caught Gia completely off guard. She made a sound that caused the hair on the back of Gia’s neck to stand on end. If she hadn’t been sitting right there, Gia would have thought it was an animal howling in pain.

“Mom?” Willow said, as she walked out of the kitchen, looking at Gia as if wondering why she hadn’t already gone to her sobbing sister.

Her daughter was right. Their issues with each other didn’tmatter at the moment. They were still family. Gia stood at the same time Flynn did. But before either of them could reach for her sister, Cami, sobbing uncontrollably now, dashed to Amos’s chair, set the tray on his lap—without spilling a drop—then turned and threw herself into Flynn’s arms.

“It’s all right. Everything’s going to be all right, Cami,” he said, his voice as soothing as the way he rubbed her sister’s back.

As Gia watched them together, she remembered her prediction of two weeks before when she’d caught a glimpse of them in her rearview mirror. Getting involved with Flynn had been madness. It didn’t matter that she woke up with a smile on her face at just the thought of seeing him, that every day with him felt exciting, magical even. There was only one way this would end—her with a broken heart. Even worse would be the fallout with Willow. She’d be torn between her mother and her father.

As Gia looked away from Flynn, she met Amos’s steady gaze. “He’s always been her security blanket,” he said, as if the knowledge would reassure Gia. Her face must be easier to read than she thought.

Flynn glanced from his father to Gia and then gave his head a slight, seemingly frustrated shake. Gia wasn’t sure, but she thought his frustration might be directed at her. He took a step back from Cami and guided her to a chair, crouching in front of her.

“Son,” Amos said, tossing a box of tissues at Flynn.

He caught it. “Thanks, Dad.” After handing several tissues to Cami and waiting for her to finish wiping her face and blowing her nose, he asked, “Are you ready to talk about it?”

Her face hidden behind a tissue, Cami shook her head.

“Too bad,” Gia said, her frustration with her sister getting the better of her. It had always been this way, though. It didn’t have anything to do with their issues of late.

As the oldest sister, she was used to dealing with Eva’s and Cami’s over-the-top emotions. The two of them had been drama queens growing up, and they hadn’t changed much. Their mother was the same. “You can’t just have an epic meltdown and not tell us what it’s about.”

“Mom!” her daughter said, walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water. “Show a little compassion.” She patted Cami on the shoulder and handed her the water.

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