Page 19 of Relentless
“Nonsense,” Sabina said. “You’d never—Ow! Did you just pinch me, Gina?”
“I did,” the woman said with a nod. “You need to listen to your sister.”
Sabina scowled at their aunt. “I am listening, but she’s talking gibberish.”
“No one cares what you think right now, Sabina-child,” Gina countered.
Kara had to fight to keep a smile from her face when Sabina gaped at their aunt like a fish. Gina held Sabina’s gaze. Kara couldn’t see her aunt’s expression, but she must have conveyed some message, because her sister’s lips thinned then she looked forward again.
“You’re right. I apologize, Kara. Why do you think you’d screw it up?” Sabina asked.
Kara didn’t answer right away. Instead, she focused on the sound of her feet crunching on the packed dirt road and the trill of the birds calling to each other in the woods. Slowly, her thoughts formed into something coherent.
“When we went into hiding all those years ago, you developed the skills that enabled you to hide in plain sight,” she said, speaking to her sister. “I know the early years were hard. But before moving to Mystery Lake, you’d managed to stay in the DC area, build a community, have friends. I don’t want to minimize everything you did to make that happen, but you more or less lived a normal life.
“It wasn’t like that for me,” she continued. “I didn’t have the same skills you did, so for me,hidingmeant always staying on the run. I made friends in college and medical school, of course. But after that? I don’t think I was in the US for more than a month at a time. And when I was out of the country, I was never in the same place twice in a twelve-month period. That kind of life doesn’t allow for deep friendships or community.”
She paused in her explanation, needing a moment to collect herself before continuing. “It’s almost overwhelming right now when I think about all the options open to me. Do I stay here? Move somewhere else? Go back to the aid agency? It seems the only thing I know for certain is that I want to stay in medicine. I like it and I’m good at it.”
“And Ethan?” Gina prompted.
She hesitated. “I know there are no promises in this world, but he’s the kind of guy who wants it all. He wants the house and kids and dogs. And he isn’t afraid to put it out there. It’s one of the things I admire about him. Iamattracted to him—on so many levels. What if I find that I want something different, though? I know there are people who believe love is enough. But I think life has taught each of us that sometimes it’s not.” She paused then added, “I don’t know if I could live with myself if he got caught in my crossfire, so to speak.”
“That’s not going to happ—Ow! Did you just pinch me again?” Sabina demanded.
“You didn’t listen the first time. You needed a reminder,” Gina said.
Sabina narrowed her gaze at their aunt. “Fine,” she huffed. Then leaning forward to look around Gina to Kara, she asked, “Are you sure you’re asking the right question?”
Kara frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The question you’re asking is whether you’re going to hurt Ethan. But is that the right question?”
Kara thought it was. But when her sister said it like that, it made her think maybe it wasn’t. “What should I be asking myself?”
Sabina turned her attention to Gina and raised an eyebrow. “May I offer my opinion now?”
Gina gave a regal nod. “Now that she’s asked for it, yes.”
“Thank you, Queen Gina—”
“Don’t you forget it,” Gina replied.
Kara thought Sabina might have muttered something along the lines of “as if we could,” but she looked at her again and answered. “Maybe you should be asking yourself ifEthanis who you want?”
Kara side-eyed her sister. “I thought that’s what I was doing—Ow! Would you stop that, Gina!” she said, rubbing her arm.
“When you two start listening to each other, I might.”
Kara huffed. “I take it that’s not the question I’m asking.”
Sabina lifted a shoulder. “It sounds to me like you’re asking yourself what if you did something that would hurt him. Not whether you want him.”
“And I don’t want to hurt him because he’s important to me,” Kara countered. Wasn’t that obvious?
Sabina snorted. “I have news for you. Youwillhurt him. And he’ll hurt you. No matter how much love there is in a relationship, there will come a time when you hurt each other. Hopefully the love is there, and the foundation is strong enough to pull through. And they may be big hurts or small ones. But no one has any sort of lasting intimate relationship withouthurtbeing a part of it.”
Kara considered this, although she didn’t need to for long. “I hate it when you’re right,” she grumbled.
