She shakes her head.
He looks to me with an apologetic shrug. You know how headstrong your sister is.
I do.
And most of the time, I'm proud of her for it. We're all bossy and headstrong, even Mom and Dad.
But now… I can't deal with anything besides Mom being in surgery.
Violet and Ethan take their seats and pass out coffees. Violet nods hello to everyone. Before she can verbalize a hello, Piper jumps in.
"Mal dumped Lacey because she's in love with him." She stares at me. "That's ridiculous."
"Well…" Violet takes the lid off her tea and blows cool air over the water. "I think I get it."
"Honey, stop now before you say something horrible about him." Ethan hands me my tea. He turns back to his fiancée. "I know you mean well, but—"
"Mal can handle my lack of tact." Violet stares back at me. "I get it, Mal. I hated myself for what happened to Asher. I didn't think I deserved to be happy. I know what it's like to run away from something you want."
Ethan wraps his arm around her. His expression gets dreamy. Even with the world crashing around us, Ethan and Vi have their own perfect little world. She still hangs the sun in his sky.
Violet plants a soft kiss on Ethan's lips, then she turns back to me. "You love her too, don't you?"
I say nothing.
She continues. "And you're scared of what that means."
Maybe.
Violet doesn't blink. Her green eyes stay understanding. "It's easier to leave and tell yourself you want it this way."
"I don't want it this way," I say.
"What way do you want it?" she asks.
I can't explain it. I don't want to get hurt again. But it's more that— "I don't want to hurt Lacey any more than I have to."
Ethan and Piper share a what the fuck look.
"That's how it always goes," I say.
Violet's eyes light up with realization. "It is, but it's worth it. Trust me, Mal. Even if Ethan and I had never gotten back together, it would have been worth all the pain of breaking up to have those three years with him."
"I don't like where this is going," Ethan teases.
"It's better that I have you." She turns back to him. "It's everything that I have you."
He slides his hand into her hair and pulls her into a tight embrace.
Piper looks to me. "I love you, Mal."
"I love you too," I say.
"But you're being an idiot and you need to get over yourself," she says.
"I do?" I ask.
She nods. "Don't you want to be happy?"