Page 62 of Safe With Me

“Wow, I feel bad for missing out all this time, Mikey.” She took a seat next to Keely. “Anything else I should know around here?”

“Hmm,” my sister said, her brows drawing together. “I’m not sure. You said you know the coffee shop by Dad’s office and Salma’s. I’m only allowed in Aunt Claudia’s bar during the day, but so is Jason, and that’s his mom.”

Lila grinned at me over Keely’s head.

“If you think of anything else, make sure to let me know.”

“You should come to the little beach with us next time,” Keely said, grabbing Lila’s arm.

“Where’s the little beach?” Lila crinkled her nose at me.

“At the end of Grove Street.” I told Lila. “It’s very small. You can only fit maybe three beach chairs.”

“So you have to wake up really early in the morning or else you can’t fit,” Keely said before grabbing Lila’s arm. “Can you come with us this weekend if we go?”

“Keely, I think this weekend it’s supposed to rain. We can go another time,” I said. “I know you’re excited to have Lila here, but she may not want to get up so early on a weekend.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” She smiled at my sister. “A whole patch of sand to ourselves to build sandcastles would be cool.”

“Exactly!”

We all chuckled at my sister’s loud exhale.

“I like your bracelet,” my sister said, eyeing the black string around Lila’s wrist.

“Thank you.’ Lila smiled as she stretched out her arm and twisted her wrist back and forth. “My best friend bought it for me before I moved here. It’s called a ‘you’ve got this’ bracelet. I was a little scared when I first moved here, so she gave it to me to remind me to be brave.”

Keely moved closer and traced along the silver beads in the middle.

“But she didn’t need it,” I told my sister as I found Lila’s gaze. “She was brave all on her own.”

Lila’s lips curved into a sheepish smile as a blush stained her cheeks. It was all I could do not to shoot up from my seat and pull her into my arms.

“If it rains and Mike isn’t a cop that day, you can come to his apartment. We’re making tacos next instead of pizza, so no flour mess.”

“But I’m sure we’ll find other ways to make a mess,” I said, holding my gaze on Lila. “And if you’re around and want to come, you know you’re always welcome.”

“Yes!” My sister fist-pumped and flung her arms around Lila’s neck. “Making pizza was so fun, right?”

“It was,” Lila said, chuckling as she hugged her back. “Tacos would be even more fun, I bet.”

“Come eat, Keely,” Peyton said, crooking her finger as she set down her plate. “Lila isn’t leaving yet, and you can talk to her more after your dinner.”

She nodded and rushed over to the chair, still looking at Lila. “You’re really pretty.”

“Thank you, Keely.” Lila’s eyes were glossy as she shot me a look. “So are you.”

“I can see why Mike likes you so much.”

“Keely, that’s enough,” Peyton said before I could figure out how to react. “Eat.”

Leave it to my sister to say what everyone else was probably thinking.

Lila was more than pretty. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and I did like her. A lot. So much that I’d run out of energy to deny it anymore.

But I still didn’t know what to do about it.

Dad finished the burgers and hot dogs, and we ate without anyone mentioning what my sister had blurted out. I watched Lila chat with everyone, an easy smile on her lips for most of the night.

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