Page 68 of Together We Burn
“Um, yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”
“And Nate?”
“He’s in bed; he’s not feeling well,” she said, then hesitated. “Why? Stefy, what's wrong?”
I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I closed my eyes. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong. I just needed to hear your voice.”
“Oookay,” she said, sounding suspicious. “Nice to hear your voice too. I was almost starting to forget what you sounded like. You’ve not called in years.”
She chuckled, this light and beautiful laugh that soothed my fear like a balm, but it didn't stop a rock the size of a boulder from falling into the pit of my stomach. I was a terrible sister. Even if our lack of communication was for her own good, I could have tried harder; encrypted emails, burner phones, anything to stay in contact.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Stefy, I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. I know this is the way it has to be.”
Guilt threatened to drown me as I stared at the phone, my throat thick with unspoken words I couldn’t say to my baby sister sitting alone in whatever city Alex had placed her in years ago with the help of his Grandma Mary.
Jake moved closer, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me into his body. He started to rub small circles along my back, and I leaned my head against his chest, welcoming the warmth he provided. He knew better than anyone the hurt over letting down a sibling.
Eventually, I straightened and inhaled deeply.
“Chris, I think you and Nate should come to stay with Alex and me for a while.”
As Chris stayed quiet, you could have heard crickets on the other end of the call.
“You said nothing was wrong,” she accused. She might be younger, but at twenty-four, with an eleven-year-old child, she was much wiser in her youth than I gave her credit for.
“Stuff’s happened recently, and I would be happier knowing you were safe with us, where we can keep an eye on you.”
“Keep an eye on me?” she scoffed. “I’m not a child anymore, Stevie.”
“I know, it’s just–”
“No, tell me what's going on. Now, or else I’m not coming.”
Alex came to my side and took the phone from me, clicked off the speakerphone, and held it to his ear, leaving Jake and me alone in his living room.
“She seems nice. Stubborn… demanding…” He laughed, dropping his arm when I sagged down to the sofa and held my head in the palms of my hands. “Kind of reminds me of someone else I know.”
I huffed a muffled laugh under my hands, hoping Alex would talk some sense into her. I could hear Jake shifting in front of me as he lowered himself onto the coffee table and held either side of my thighs, his thumbs brushing back and forth across my legs.
“She’ll come, and you will keep her safe,” he murmured, leaning forward to place a kiss on the top of my head, then gently rested his forehead against my hair as we waited for Alex to return.
Clearing his throat, we jumped up to find Alex staring at us with a crease between his brows.
“She’s going to come,” he said with this weird apprehension, like he was nervous about her coming to live with us.
“Good,” I said, nodding quickly. “That’s good.”
“Where will they sleep?” Alex asked with a grimace. Honestly, this reaction to my little sister and her son temporarily living with us was odd. I frowned, and Alex cleared his throat. “I mean, our house is pretty small.”
“Right, well, Chris can have my room. I doubt she will want to bunk with me. I’m practically a stranger to her now,” I said, hating the divide I’d created between us and therefore had no real connection to the woman my sister had grown up to be. “Nate can have your room, and I guess we camp it out in the living room?”
“They can stay here,” Jake said, surprising me as my head snapped to look at him. His smile was soft as he cupped the back of my neck and rubbed his thumb across my pulse point. “I’ve got two spare rooms, and the couch in my office folds out to a bed. It’s like Alex said, your house is small, and I’ve got the space.”
“Two spare rooms?” I asked, and Jake chuckled.
“I’m surprised you didn’t snoop more when I was at work.”
