Page 52 of Everything I Desire

He puts a plate full of eggs and bacon with an english muffin in front of me. “I’ll text her, let her know she can come or not. If she doesn’t come I’ll just tell Brad she’s here alone, he can do some extra drive bys.”

I eye him suspiciously. “You’re too calm.”

“I’ll do anything you need me to do, baby. Including controlling my anger around Willow and you.” He looks down at his phone, “Kayla is coming. She said‘Oh my god, I can’t believe I get to meet her, she’s amazing.’So. there’s that.” We both start laughing.I can hear Kayla freaking out now. Willow is pretty well known and she has gone viral a few times on social media. The kids at school think it’s so cool she’s my sister and ask me about her all the time.

The guilt takes over me that I didn’t push her to tell me more over the last few years. I knew something was wrong with her. She’s been so surface level with our phone calls, refusing to come home to visit, claiming she was too busy. And when I went to visit her she was so fake, maybe not enough that anyone else would notice, but I did. Her happiness was too forced. She spent too much time showing me how wonderful Nashville is and how happy she is. Almost like she was trying to convince herself and not me.

I never pushed her because Willow is the type of person who if you push her, she will double down and withdraw. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that giving her the space to come to me was the right thing. It clearly wasn’t.

I shove the guilt away, it won’t help anything now. At least she’ll be here tonight and I can squeeze her tight.

I help Porter clean up from breakfast, and then he comes over to my house with me. I’ve been letting some chores slide since I’ve been spending so much time here with Porter and Kayla.

He offers to help me change the sheets on my bed. He eyes me from across the room as I lean over to pull the corner of the sheet off the mattress.

“Don’t you look at me like that, Porter Jackson. We have chores to do.” I point my finger at him.

He lunges across the bed and pulls me down on top of him. “They can wait.”

I’m in the kitchen making desserts for Lacey’s engagement party when Willow finally wakes up. I place the mini cheesecake bites on their own doily and arrange them on the platter. I’m topping them each with a chocolate truffle.

Willow plucks a truffle out of the bowl before taking a seat at the island across from me.

“Nowthisis a breakfast.” She licks her fingers and takes a whole cheesecake bite.

I slap her hand away. “This is not breakfast, this is for the party today.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Ade.” She uses my childhood nickname that I only allow her to use. I hate that name from anyone else, but not from my baby sister.

“Willow. You can’t come home and not see Mom.” I purse my lips.

“I know. I just - I’m not ready for the questions. I’m hurt by Jake. I’m out a lot of money, without any means to sue him and his empire. I have to watch him flaunt all this wealth that he has because of me, and who knows how many other women he’s doing this to.” She drops her head down to her hands. “And, Imiss home.”

“I know, babes. I get it. It sucks all around. But why can’t you come home? It sounds like you’re out a manager anyway, there has to be someone who can represent you living here. Plus you’re super famous on social media right now, you can do that from anywhere. Gunnar books local bands to sing at The Bar so you could do that, and you know Mom would love to have you back.” I wink at her. Now that Lacey is living with her fiance Colton, she has empty nest syndrome again.

“I could move home. I just need to clear my head and sort stuff out in Nashville. And find a way to take that asshole down so he can’t do this to anyone else.” She steals another cheesecake bite, looking me right in the eye while she does it. Like those sad puppy dog eyes are going to work on me.

“You know I’m a teacher, right? Those sad eyes don’t work on me.” I raise my brows, staring at her. “Clear your head and figure your shit out. You know we’re here to help any way we can. And stop stealing my damn cheesecake!”

She needs tough love sometimes as the baby of the family. She got used to us solving her problems for her, which she then flipped to thinking that we are over bearing and moved on to hyper independence.

“Ugh. Fine. I’m going for a hike. A little mountain top therapy can’t hurt.” She says getting up to go change.

She comes back into the kitchen squeezing me tight before leaving again.

“Be safe. Love you.” I yell out to her back as she walks out the front door.

When she gets home, all my cheesecake is safely packed away on the counter waiting for Mom to come get it. I tried to get Mom here right when Willow left, but she was busy prepping her own food for the party.

So unfortunately, Willow is already home when she gets here.

“I’m sorry, but Mom just pulled in the driveway.” I give her my bestI’m sorry, I triedlook.

“Ughh, just get her to keep the questions to a minimum. Please.” Willow pleads.

I assure her that I’ve got this and go open the front door.

“Hey, Mom. I’ve got everything in the kitchen.” I lean in to hug her, “And I have one more surprise for you.”

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