Page 61 of I Blame the Club

My sister hums, a telltale sign she’s hunting for the right words to say.

“It’s like there’s something missing.”

I fall silent, thinking about Nico’s concern for her mental health. It’s obvious he holds a lot of affection for the girl, and given his history with Wes, I would assume the three of them grew up together. It doesn’t explain what led to Lacey trying to commit suicide but it does give me a glimpse into why Nico is so protective of her.

We don’t say anything else as we approach the duo, both of us lost in thought about the beautiful girl with the broken past.

Lacey lets out another laugh, “Wesley is the world’s worst cook. I should have warned you not to let him near the kitchen.”

Lou smiles, “We just bought an air fryer for his dorm, so fingers crossed he doesn’t burn the place down.”

“Hello ladies. Ready to head back to Taber?”

Both girls turn to face me, Lou immediately blushing at my smile while Lacey gives me an assessing glance.

“Do you drive faster or slower than Stella?”

Familiar green eyes stare back at me, Lacey’s resemblance to her older brother uncanny. She doesn’t have Wes’ signature dimples, but even without them, the Williams siblings could easily be mistaken for twins.

I tilt my head, “Depends on who you ask.”

Stella tosses a braid over her shoulder with a grin, “If you ask anyone but Mo, the answer is me.”

The girls laugh and I shake my head, walking over to open the back door for them. Lou gives me a quiet thanks and slips inside and Lacey follows suit.

I shut the door carefully behind them and turn to find Stella watching me with her hands on her hips.

“You know something I don’t. Spill.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

Her eyes narrow, “Don’t try and lie to me, Mo. I know you too well for that.”

Sighing, I walk over and open the passenger door for my sister.

“It’s not my story to tell.”

Stella runs and jumps on my running boards, bringing her up to my chin.

“We’ll discuss this later when we have less company.”

Grabbing my shoulders, she pulls me in for a hug. The action takes me by surprise but it doesn’t take long for her small arms to offer the comfort I didn’t know I needed.

“Mom would have been so proud of you this weekend.” Her voice cracks and it goes straight to my chest. “She would have been cheering louder than all of us combined.”

I laugh softly, “Remember that terrible Tigers Mom t-shirt she always used to wear?”

“If they had a sister one, you already know I would wear it.”

We release each other and I watch Stella’s eyes start to glisten. A single tear falls onto her cheek but I make no move to wipe it away.

“Think it’s time we hit the road.”

My sister nods and the tear falls off her face like it was never there in the first place.

Nico

“CAP! Where have you been?”

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