Page 82 of Fragments of You

“I loved him, too. But some acts, no matter what the reasoning, are unforgivable. And screwing my sister is one of them.”

“Completely agree.” She holds her hands up. “I just hate that he pulled Celine into the lie.”

“Same. For years I felt like there was this divide between us that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t close. It wasn’t until I found out the truth that I understood why. And even if she hates me for the rest of her life, I will continue to show up for her because that’s what family does.”

“She doesn’t deserve you.”

“Maybe. But here I am.” I let out a humorless laugh.

“So back to Nash... What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you see him again?”

“Probably pass out.” I snort.

“Stop it.”

“I mean it, Iris. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous to see someone in my life.”

“You say that now, but when you see him, all that will change. I’m gonna place a bet now and say that the first thing you do is grab that handsome face of his and kiss him good and proper.”

I laugh at her antics as she acts out the scene with an invisible partner.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that.”

“You say that now, but just you wait.”

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

“I guess we will.” She gives me a knowing smile.

I’ve always envied Iris’s positivity and how fiercely she believes in things. I wish I had even a fraction of her confidence. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel like I’m going to vibrate out of my own skin at any moment.

“Okay, enough about Nash. Tell me more about you. What have you been up to since we last spoke?” I move to change the conversation. I’ll have plenty of time to obsess over my reunion with Nash. Right now, I want to be in this moment with my best friend.

“I see what you’re doing, you know. But, given that I only have you here for a limited time, I’ll bite.”

I let out a silent breath as Iris starts filling me in on all the woes of motherhood, starting with her sore nipples and ending with blowout diapers. She paints quite the picture. So much so, that I barely think about Nash for the remainder of my visit. Notice I said barely...

“CELINE.” I RAP MY KNUCKLES lightly on my sister’s bedroom door. “Mom said we need to leave soon,” I say, gently pushing the door open to find my sister standing in front of a floor-length mirror.

I almost lose my breath at the sight of her. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her face to face, and I have to say, the last four years have been very kind to her. Not that she wasn’t always beautiful, but that beauty has matured. She’s absolutely stunning, especially with the way her white dress accents her tanned skin and her dark hair falls over her shoulders.

I hadn’t realized until this very moment just how much I’ve missed her. I know what you’re thinking, how could you possibly miss her after the way she treated you? And you’d be right to ask that question. In truth, it’s more complicated than it may appear to some.

Celine has always hidden behind her fearless façade. She makes people believe she is impenetrable, untouchable, but despite her efforts to shut me out, I’ve seen her more clearly than she probably realizes. Underneath her forced snarl and self-righteous attitude is a girl not much different than me.

I’ve spent four years waiting for this moment, but now that I stand here, I’m honestly not sure what to say.

“I didn’t know you were here.” She turns toward me, her blue eyes meeting mine.

“You were clearing out your dorm when I arrived. I must have been at Iris’s when you got home.”

“I didn’t think you’d come,” she quietly admits.

“Of course I did. You’re my sister.”

“After the way I treated you.” She shakes her head. “Paisley, I’m so sorry. I’ve wanted to say those words to you so many times over the last four years, but I was afraid you would reject my apology and so I didn’t give you one.”

“You don’t have to...”

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