Leaning back against the rental, I kept my mouth shut by blowing bubbles with my gum as Houston and Rich stood next to me.
“I know you’re mad at me, Brax, but I really wish you wouldn’t be,” Rosalie pleaded. “I’m okay. I promise.”
“And that’s the problem, Rosalie. You shouldn’t be okay. This is not what you told me you wanted.”
Rosalie finally looked up from the ground only to burst into hysterical tears when her gaze met her sister’s. They poured down her face relentlessly as she sobbed and attempted to talk through them. My heart ached for her, knowing she was being pulled in two directions and much too fragile to endure the strain.
“I know, but I was scared,” she wailed. “They were going to hate me forever, but I knew you never would, so I just did what they wanted, but I was wrong because now you do hate me, and I wish I could take it back, but I can’t.”
It took me several seconds longer than Braxton to decode and decipher Rosalie’s ramble. By the time I did, Braxton had her arms around her sister’s body as she held and attempted to soothe her.
“You were absolutely right,” Braxton told her sister. “I could never and will never hate you. I’m disappointed, and I feel responsible, but that’s my burden to bear, not yours. Take it off your shoulders because it doesn’t belong there. I told you to make the decision that was best for you, and that’s what you did. You didn’t make the one you wanted, but you made the one you thought you could live with. I get it.” Braxton took Rosalie’s drenched face in her hands and lifted her head from her chest to make their eyes meet. “And know this…no matter what, no matter when, every time you look in your corner, I’ll be right there, babe. Gloves up.”
Rosalie giggled, her eyes even bigger than Braxton’s, as her big sister attacked her sweet face with kisses. Our girl seemed reluctant to let go of her sister when she finally did pull away. Each step backward seemed weighed down as their hands held until the very last.
Their parents stood several feet away, watching their daughters closely but not intervening. I really didn’t know what to make of them. Obviously, they were devout, but that didn’t necessarily make them cruel. I guess I had no choice but to wait to hear the full story before forming an opinion, and I wouldn’t need both sides since I only gave a fuck about Braxton’s. There were still pieces of her missing, and I was eager to complete the puzzle.
“Braxton!” Rosalie called out again once the four of us were in our rental.
Rich was in the driver’s seat, ready to take us to the airport since our bags were already in the car. It was a good thing, too, since Houston decided to break the clerk’s nose before we left this morning. No one bothered asking him why, and he didn’t enlighten us.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t you want to know if you’re having a niece or nephew?”
Braxton simply smiled when words failed her. There was a strain to it that she fought like hell to hide from her sister. She didn’t want to cause her any more anguish, and it only made me love her even more.
Fuck.
I never even heard the gender baby sis shouted out.
I was too busy freaking the fuck out.
I was silent the entire drive to the airport, but everyone was trapped in their own thoughts as well, so no one noticed. I was completely still as I watched the scenery pass through the window and let my mind turn on itself.
Did I love Braxton?
I felt my heart lurch in answer.
We were back at the airport and boarding the plane to Seattle before I knew it. We had a show tomorrow, but our gig was the last thing on my mind. I was tripping all over my feelings and Braxton’s.
Whatever hers may be.
I wanted to sit her the fuck down, take her hands in mine, and ask if she loved me too. Even with my zero experience, though, I was smart enough to know I’d only look like a lunatic, so I refrained.
Thankfully, Houston was around to distract me by being a dick per usual. When he spoke, I sat back in my seat as we waited for the plane to take off and pretended I didn’t want to make demands of my own.
“Start talking, Fawn.”Braxton rolled her eyes when Houston ordered her to talk, but then her gaze landed on me when I leaned forward to listen, and somehow, I made her soften. It could have been the orgasms I’d given her this morning when Morrow left her hanging, or it could have been my desperate need to know that I didn’t bother to hide. Either way, she gave us what we wanted.