Page 16 of Outlaw Heartstrings
Typical Raya.
At least I know she’s still alive. She’s been active on social media. She posted some photos showing off her latest bejeweled manicure thirteen hours ago. My sister is so damn frustrating. She always has been.
I remember it just like it was yesterday. Crammed into the tiny washroom in the church’s basement, staring at a pregnancy test, finding out that my fraternal twin was pregnant and that the baby was Easton’s.
I was the one who had to break the news to our parents—Raya claimed she was too sick with nerves to do it herself. I remember every milestone of her pregnancy. I remember hustling around in the kitchen at all hours of the night when she had her weird pregnancy cravings. I remember standing next to her hospital bed, holding back her hair as she puked into a bed pan the night Jagger was born.
I was there through it all. Of course I was. Raya is my sister and I always have her back.
Although sometimes, I seriously doubt that she deserves my loyalty.
With the few extra minutes before my shift starts, I browse the romance section looking for any new books that might have come in recently. I’ve read just about everything on the shelves of our small library at least once. But I always like to check and see if they’ve fulfilled any new book requests.
My eyes blink heavily and I’m reminded that I’m currently running on about three hours of shitty sleep after my hospital receptionist shift. I’m just so exhausted.
I sigh, wishing out loud that I could be more like the heroines in these romance novels. I let my fingertips trail along the scuffed spines of the old books. A happily ever after sure would be nice.
“Might not be so bad for Prince Charming to swoop in right about now…” I mutter, flipping through a worn book I’ve read a few times.
A smooth, deep voice rings out from behind me, making me jump. “Since when do you need a prince charming to save you, Tiny Tiger?” Easton Raines asks me.
8
EASTON
At the sound of my voice, Alba fumbles the novel she’s holding. It falls to the carpeted floor, and she turns toward me, looking flustered.
Before she can make a move, I quickly maneuver myself down to one knee.
I present the fallen book to her like an offering. “For the princess,” I say gallantly, making a lame attempt to joke around with her. Like old times.
A nervous smile flashes across her face as she awkwardly adjusts her glasses. Then Alba takes the book and mindlessly slides it back onto the shelf.
“No princesses here,” she mutters, her eyes avoiding mine.
When I bungle my crutches, struggling to pull myself back up to my feet, Alba hurriedly rushes forward to help me. My ego refuses to let me look weak, though. So I quickly right myself and find my balance.
“What?! I thought you were the Princess of Fairy Bush. At least that’s how I remember it,” I add cheesily, still trying to reclaim the fun vibe between us from the good old days.
But she’s not taking the bait.
Fine. My jokes are cringeworthy today. Maybe they always were. But at the moment, I don’t care. I’m just longing for the familiarity of my past right now.
Meanwhile, Alba is still acting like a frightened, little animal who wants to run away. What the hell did I do to make her so skittish around me?
“Hey,” I say, changing my tone and dropping the games. “Are you all right after your fall yesterday? Did you get your knee looked at?”
Alba nods, giving me the tiniest smile. “I’m good. Thanks.”
I clear my throat as embarrassment washes over me. “I didn’t apologize for how I reacted. I’m sorry I laughed when you tumbled over the fence. I feel like an idiot. I just thought it was all a prank or some sort of surprise like back in the d—”
“It’s okay,” she says a little too quickly. “But I’m running late, and I really should—”
“Are you sure everything’s okay?” I interrupt, examining her face and unable to shake this weird feeling.
She’s clearly trying to cut the conversation short. Just like yesterday when she bolted. But I’m not going to let her off the hook that easily.
I know we fell out of touch when I left Fairy Bush, and I blame myself for not trying harder. But I’m here now, and I want to fix this.
