Hopeless Hero

“And I messed up. I know.”

She took another bite of her scone and looked away. It felt like she was hiding something, but knew she wouldn’t tell me until she was ready.

We sat in silence for a few more minutes, neither of us wanting to break the familiar comfort we had sunken into. I drank the rest of my coffee and Alicia finished her second scone. The sun was high in the sky by the time we spoke again.

“I should probably get back,” she said, standing up. “My parents will wonder where I am.”

“How long are you in town? Can I take you to dinner? I owe you that much, at least.”

Alicia smiled and shuffled her feet. Playing with a loose curl, she looked uncomfortable even though the smile never left her lips. “Sure,” she said hesitantly. “Dinner. That’s fine. I’m here for the rest of the week.”

“How about tonight?” I asked.

She nodded. “Okay.” She then turned and walked through the square.

I watched her sashaying hips until she disappeared.

CHAPTER 15

Alicia

“Will you please stop looking at me like that?” I snapped. After enduring Allie’s judgmental glare for nearly twenty minutes, I was ready to get away from her for the night.

“Like what?” she asked, fake innocence dripping from her voice.

“Like I just killed your puppy.”

Allie shook her head. “I just don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

“Well, you don’t have to.”

“Alicia…” Allie began. She slowly got off the bed and walked over to me.

I stood in front of the vanity mirror, teasing my curls and adding finishing touches to my makeup as Allie stood behind me, watching. I pretended to not see her standing there until I couldn’t take it anymore. “What?” I snapped, turning around to face her.

My stance must have been defensive because Allie immediately took two steps back. “Retract the claws, okay?” she said, holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I’m not getting myself into anything,” I said, exasperated. “It’s just dinner with an old friend.”

“He’s not just an old friend, and you know that.”

“Of course, I know that.” For the first time all evening, I let my confidence slip away. My head sagged and I stared at my feet, which were crammed into high heels a size too small. I hated how easily it was for me to become emotional. In New York, I was strong and didn’t allow any weakness to seep through. In Savage, though--it was like everyone could see straight down to my vulnerable soul and no one could see better than my sister.

“Talk to me,” Allie said softly.

“These shoes are too small,” I complained.

“Yeah, well, they’re all I have. Maybe you should have brought your own if you intended to date while you’re in town. Seriously, Alicia…”

“Don’t.” My head popped back up and my eyes narrowed warningly. “Allie, it’s not your life, and it’s not your business.”

Her face turned red in a flash. “The hell it’s not! Who took care of you when he bailed? Who was there in the hospital the day—”

I shot her a warning look. She was treading on extremely dangerous ground and she knew it. Her mouth clamped shut and her expression softened.

Of all the things I knew about my sister, her protective instinct was the most prominent. When she felt I was heading down the wrong path, she couldn’t help voicing her opinions, even when they were the last thing I needed or wanted to hear.