Page 66 of Friend
What about our interactions made it seem as though we were siblings? I’d been trying to hard to perfect this—to go through every possible scenario in my head.
And I’d failed.
“Why do you think that?” I genuinely wanted to know.
So that I could stop it immediately.
“You’ve been doting on her,” she said, grabbing a bright red cherry and placing it artistically on the top of the whipped cream tower. She then set the bowl on the counter in front of me. “But it’s not the same way a lover would.”
Preposterous. “I can see her faults just fine.”
They were basically the same as mine.
She rolled her eyes, then leaned forward, crossing her arms on the counter. “Notthat,” she said. “Like…” she began, and her attention trailed past me. I glanced back to Bianca and a jolt shot through me.
A man had stopped at our table,speakingto her. The complete and utter nerve of him—wasn’t it obvious that she was nervous?
He’d better not be saying anything untoward.
Granted, it was only our waiter. But that was no excuse. I should be over there.
“I’ll be back to—” I began, but the girl laughed, and I paused. Was she making fun of me?
It was short, but enough for the waiter to leave, and for Bianca to turn her attention back to the window.
The tight annoyance in my chest eased, and a wariness settled in its place.
What could I do to make her happy?
“You’re a good big brother,” the ice cream girl said. “But remember, you can’t suffocate her either. I don’t know what she’s been through, but you don’t need to watch her every moment.” I frowned at her, glancing at her name tag.
Tracey was so very wrong. She didn’t know anything about Bianca’s life. I’d been trying to be understanding—even Brayden had complimented me in secret—but the truth was…
I didn’t agree with her quintet, and I did not agree with anyone who helped raise her.
She never should have been kept sheltered from her abilities—even though, I had to admit, that I owed everyone involved regardless. No matter how they did it, they’d protected her as best they could.
However, I definitely did not agree with her quintet. It was getting harder to ignore how blatantly and horribly ignorant they were. I’d been waiting—watching Bianca’s reactions, and no lines had been crossed thus far, and I hoped that there never was.
But I would be ready if that ever happened.
Suffocate, nothing. Tracey had no idea.
“Thanks for the ice cream.” I grabbed the bowl and threw a bill into the tip jar. She didn’t say a word as I turned and left, although I could feel her eyes on me the entire time. “Here.” I set the bowl in front of Bianca, noting that she hadn’t even noticed my arrival. She jumped at the sound of my voice, but then her attention was riveted to the food.
“That’s a lot of sprinkles,” she said.
She wasn’t wrong. The rainbow explosion was so strong that a person could scarcely see the ice cream underneath. “Do you want another?”
“No.” Bianca picked up her spoon. “It’s perfect.”
That’s what I thought.
I sat back, crossing my arms, as I stared at my coffee while Bianca ate. “Do you think I suffocate you?”
She paused, glancing up, before lowering her spoon, and I hated that I’d caused her to stop eating. “No, why?”
“No reason.” I knew it. Tracey just didn’t understand our relationship.
