Page 2 of My Favorite Sin

With reluctance, I end the hug, not knowing how to greet her.

I missed you.

I’ve thought about you every day.

You broke my heart, leaving the way you did.

None of those options seem appropriate. “How was your flight?”

“Fine.” Her voice is cautious. She stands in silence, her gaze roaming my face, her expression troubled. “You look really different, like you’ve been hanging around Felix too much.”

In other words, I’ve lost the boyish look of jeans and hoodies and replaced them with suits. Ihavebeen hanging around my oldest brother a lot, ever since Ally left. The parties are non-stop. So are the poker games and visits to his speakeasy. Felix was bound to rub off on me.

“What are you doing here?” Ally asks. “I thought our parents were picking me up.”

“They had a last-minute work thing to take care of and called me to be here instead.”

“Okay. No problem. Should we get out of here?”

“Sure.” I pick up Ally’s carry-on luggage and sling it over my shoulder.

“I can carry that.” There’s apprehension in her voice. Perhaps I shouldn’t be carrying her belongings; it’s something a boyfriend would do.

As I pass the bag back to Ally, a camera flash goes off nearby, making her jolt. Several more flashes light up our surroundings. Neither of us bother searching for the photographer. It’s been ingrained in us as offspring of a high-profile marriage to ignore paparazzi. But Ally still hates it.

Our parents are known for their philanthropic ways and five years ago, when they got engaged, they founded Forever Families, a charity to assist families in need. They’ve thrown it upon our family that we’re to be the face of the foundation, portraying how a blended family can be astrong unit. I think it’s great they’re so passionate about helping others. I just don’t want to be a part of it, not when my father has been absent for the majority of my life, and all I ever want to do is get Ally naked. Nor do I want to live my life walking around on eggshells to aid the family image.

“Best part about Paris—no one took my photo.”

“Walk on this side of me,” I tell Ally, placing myself between her and the camera.

I’ve never cared about the public attention as much as she has. When I was younger, sometimes I enjoyed it. But I can’t say I’m looking forward to today’s poker loss hitting the news. Ally, on the other hand, stresses over what the tabloids say about her, always wanting to uphold a good reputation for our parents and Forever Families.

Of course, she never does anything scandalous for the tabloids to report on. At least, nothing anyone knows of, except me. A relationship with me would definitely not be accepted by the public. The last I heard, the media were praising Ally for how talented and dedicated she is to her piano studies at the Paris Conservatoire.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Ally asks as we follow the stream of people heading for the luggage collection area. “Mom told me she and Josh are still living in the beach house. You’re not driving me to The Hamptons at this hour, are you?”

“I thought you could spend a couple of days with me in the city before I take you to our parents.”

Her cheeks darken and she licks her lips, keeping her eyes straight ahead of us. “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

My suggestion makes her uncomfortable. The invitation to stay at my place is innocent. Despite still being in love with this girl, I’ve missed having her as my friend thislast year. Friendship was the start of our relationship, five years ago when our parents introduced us. From the color in Ally’s cheeks right now, I can tell she’s thinking about all the times we were more than just friends and that staying at my place will be dangerous.

“I can take you to our parents straight away, if you prefer,” I tell her as we step onto the escalator, descending to the ground floor.

“No, don’t hassle yourself. It will be good to spend some time in the city.”

“If you’re sure.”

Our conversation is stilted and unnatural. She’s being awkward around me, and I hate it. One of the things I love most about Ally is how she’s shy around most people except me. She has to be nervous over the way things ended with us. I don’t know how to broach the topic or if I even should. Maybe it’s best I don’t mention the past.

Ally and I rarely spoke about the inappropriate things we used to do. The silence gave her a sense of comfort. It was her way of pretending like she wasn’t doing anything wrong. Is she going to run away all over again if I ask to talk about the past? I can’t risk that, not when I’ve just got her back.

“So, tell me everything about Paris.”

She smiles again, and this time when she talks, the Ally I used to know reappears—the girl who used to talk my ear off for hours on end about her passion for music. Her voice rises in pitch and speed as she launches into a recap of her year abroad. “DeLacroix was such a phenomenal piano teacher. I learned the most amazing things from him. Performed in the most amazing cathedrals. I got to visit so many incredible historical places. Dan, I stood whereDebussy stood. It was so surreal to be where these famous composers once were. A dream come true.”

“Did you visit the Catacombs?”

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