Page 25 of Lush

We were a breath away now, our faces so close I could feel the soft flutter of her breath on my lips.

I kissed her.

CHAPTER 6

Laurene

My bedroom doorslammed open with a loud bang.

“Honestly, Laurene.” Serena chucked letters at me, the papers strewing everywhere. “When did I become your personal assistant? I have a company to run.”

I lifted my chin, smoothed the sheets, and schooled my expression into ice on Serena. “And yet, here you are. Personally assisting.”

If Serena’s eyes were lasers, there would be a hole straight through me.

The door slammed open again, and I hear a loud squeal before a burst of colors flew past and onto my bed.

“Holy shit, Mama wasn’t lying. You’re home!” Gigi burst out.

Serena frowned. “And I see Sint Maarten got tired of your bullshit early.”

“What can I say? It wasn’t worth missing my big sister coming back home!”

At twenty-three, the youngest in the family, Gigi was a knockout. Her gorgeous deep brown skin shone. Her skirt was short, ass cheeks out, and her cropped shirt revealed a pierced belly button. Today, a long ombre blond wig flowed down her back.

“By the way, if we’re talking bachelorette parties? How about we go back to Sint Maarten? The men there arefoooineas hell. I wanted to ask one if he had his passport and his shots.”

I heard a yelp as she plopped down her bag, and her miniature schnauzer, Walter, peeked his head out.

That made me gasp. “That dog is still alive?”

“Unfortunately, evil doesn’t die,” Serena muttered.

Walter’s fur used to be salt and pepper, but now it was mostly salt. He was half-blind and half-deaf at nearly twenty years old, his face framed by the classic schnauzer beard, though scruffier these days, adding to his old man charm.

“You’re just mad because he’s cuter than you,” Gigi said.

“Cute?” Serena gave Walter a wide berth as she crossed my room and leaned against my dresser. “That dog don’t even know where he at.”

“You’re such a fucking hater, Rena. Honestly.” Gigi narrowed her gaze. “Don’t be mad just because somebody loves Walter more than they’ll ever love you.”

I snorted, despite myself. Serena and Gigi glared at one another.

“Spill, Lulu!” Gigi demanded. “Mama is seriously forcing you to marry Reese Ashbourne? First of all,scandalous. You a freak, girl. Brothers? Eiffel Tower, huh? I’m sorry, that’s disrespectful. Rest in power, Conrad. But this is some reality TV shit!”

I shouldn’t have kissed him.I told myself it was because we had no choice, because appearances had to be kept. But deep down, I wanted to know if that spark still existed—if he still burned for me the way I sometimes, shamefully, burned for him.

“You sure you wanna know how I feel?” I asked, fingering my unraveling headscarf.

“Ooh, yes!” Gigi snapped her fingers at Serena. “Take notes, babe.”

“Hold up.” Serena folded her arms, her gaze slicing toward me. “I’m not doing a damn thing. Let’s not sit up herepretending everything’s fine. We need to address the fact Laurene is here like she didn’t fuck everything up.”

“Seriously?” Gigi muttered. “Why you gotta bring that up right now? She’s home. Oursisteris back.”

Serena turned to me. “How is it thatyouget to waltz back in, like nothing happened?”

“I didn’t exactly disappear for fun.” I frowned at her. “Nor do I really wanna be back.”

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