Page 91 of Love Me Not

I hope she doesn’t hate us for it.

That was the worst thing I could imagine as I sat down in the hairdresser’s chair.I breathed in and kept busy sipping on my tea and listening to the gossip around me.

Until my phone buzzed.

Excitement and panic swirled in my chest, thinking Lux and Bella had finished early.

But it wasn’t them.

It was my brother.

Lucas

Do you have time to talk?

I was hurt, but I wouldn’t say no to him.We were the only real family we had.

So I texted Lux.

Me

Hey!How are you guys doing?All done?

She replied almost instantly.

Lux Sterling

Still need some time.I haven't gotten to it yet.Maybe get yourself a snack?

Me

Okay.Lucas is coming over for a chat so I’ll go meet him.

Text me when you’re ready.

And don’t worry.I’ll be fine.We’ll be fine.

The hairstylist started cutting my hair while I typed Lucas back.

Me

Meet me in the first-floor coffee shop at the mall.I’ll be there in thirty.

And now I was spiraling.She trimmed my hair and gave me a deep conditioning treatment, making small talk along the way, and I nodded through it, but my mind wasn’t there at all.

I was running through exactly what I was going to say, word for word, in my head as my hair was getting blow-dried.

I’m sorry I put you in a hard spot, but what you said to me was not okay.

I don’t want it to be like this between us.

If you don’t want to go, that’s fine, but at least let me help with other things.

The anxious rumblings in my head only got worse when I got there.And once I was sitting there, pretty and pampered with matcha between my newly manicured nails, I started thinking that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to meet him in person.

I didn't know what he wanted to talk to me about.I didn't know if he was going to berate me again, even though I was sure I wasn’t going to just take it.But he was my brother, so I would take the chance because I loved him.And it broke my heart that we weren't talking.

When he walked in, my breath caught.He looked awful.Deep bags under his eyes, rumpled clothes, hair a mess.

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