Page 100 of My Mistake To Make

‘Hold the fuck on…’ Zoe squeals.

I pull away from Cara and tuck her against my side as I turn to face my sisters.

Bree smiles softly. Zoe and Missy stare open-mouthed.

‘You two…’ Missy starts but doesn’t finish, and I hold out my hand.

‘You must be Missy. Nice to meet you. I’m Doug.’

She takes my hand and smiles.

‘Y’all are fuckin’?’ Zoe, with the subtlety of a brick, questions loudly.

‘No, Zo. We’re not fuckin’.’ I roll my eyes.

‘Well, we are,’ Cara says, surprising all of us, and all eyes are on her as she laughs. ‘But that isn’t all it is.’

I pull her close and kiss her temple, breathing her in.

‘So, you’re together,’ I nod, ‘and you didn’t tell us?’

‘I couldn’t, Zo. I was running scared. You know that.’

She’s hurt. I can see it in her eyes, and I feel the tension in Cara. She doesn’t like upsetting the first real friends she’s ever had.

‘Okay. I’m getting us some drinks—then we’re dancing.’ I say, trying to appease the beast. ‘Zo, can you give me a hand at the bar, please?’

She huffs and stomps toward the bar, and I catch Cara’s eye and wink, letting her know I’ve got this, and follow my sister.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’m your sister, Doug, and I’m her friend.’

‘I know, and you know how it’s been with Jessie. I was afraid.’ We lean against the bar waiting to be served.

‘I would never do anything to hurt you, Doug—you or Bowie. I wouldn’t have said anything.’

Stepping forward, I wrap my arm around her shoulder. ‘Zo, it wasn’t you I was worried about. If you guys had known, I wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet anymore. Your happiness for me would have been too infectious to ignore. I had to keep this under wraps.’

‘So you made Cara keep something so big a secret, knowing how things have been for her in the past.’

‘It was my idea.’ Cara’s voice beside us surprises us both, and we turn to look at her as she reaches out for Zoe’s hands. ‘It was either have him in secret or not at all, Zo. Not at all wasn’t an option.’

Her honesty and frankness make me swallow hard, my feelings threatening to burst out of me.

‘So you’re like, together, really together?’ she asks, softer now, and I know she’s getting over the shock.

‘Really.’ Cara answers, smiling, and Zoe’s smile widens as she gazes up at me with tears in her eyes.

‘Oh, my god.’ My sister reaches up to wrap one arm around my neck and one around Cara’s, pulling us into a hug and squealing like a damn pig in our ears. ‘My brother and my best friend. I’m so happy.’

I laugh at the turnaround, then order some drinks. It’s going to be okay.

Get Close And Hold Onto Me

Cara

‘Oh god.’ I groanas I roll over, and the room keeps on rolling.

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