Page 94 of Beautifully Reckless

“There’s a lot going on, Lans.”

“With Abbey?”

I nod.

“You call her Angel.” Her eyes search mine, studying me.

“Yeah. I do.”

“She means that much to you?”

“Yep. She does.” And somehow, saying it out loud again, makes me feel a little lighter.

“How can she mean so much when you barely know her?”

I frown but answer truthfully.

“Can’t explain it.”

She halfscoffs, half giggles. “You really are a man of many words.”

“Yep,” I mutter, smirking down at the coaster I’ve absently torn up into little pieces.

“You sure about her? Maybe your brain is just trying to replace what you’ve lost.”

My head whips in her direction so fucking fast I nearly throw my neck out.

Biting my tongue, because that fucker wants to rant obscenities at my sister for saying such a thing, I try to rein in my clawing fury.

“If anyone else said that to me, I would’ve fucking stabbed them by now.”

Lani just waggles her brows. “I’m not just anyone. I’m your favourite sister.”

“Hmmm. That’s fucking debatable,” I mutter, dropping my gaze back to the ruined coaster.

“Seriously though, are you sure that’s not what this is?” Lani pushes, and I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut for a fucking beat.

“I’d like to think not,” I rasp.

“But you’re not sure?”

Her words have me shoving back from the bar and pacing.

“I’m not sure about anything, Lans. How the fuck am I meant to explain this?” My gaze flicks briefly to hers to see she’s watching me. “I’ve known her for four weeks, and only one of those weeks was real time together. It doesn’t make any fucking sense, but there’s just something different about her. About me. About how I am with her. About us. I can’t explain it. I don’t fucking know, okay?”

Throwing my handsup in the air, I stare back at my sister, her long chocolate hair now twisted into a pile on her head, making her look more her age of thirty-one.

“Okay,” Lani holds her hands up like she’s trying to calm a wild animal. “Just for the record, I think she’s really nice.”

My hands drop to my sides.

“She’s too nice for someone like me.”

“Probably.” Lani nods with a growing smile before it falters. “What she said… about the baby’s father… I hate that she’s been through that. I can’t even imagine what her life has been like. I’m sure I don’t even know the half of it.”

“Nope, you don’t.” I cut in. “That’sherstory to tell, though.”

Lani nods. “She’s strong. Incredibly brave. I know you wouldn’t be doing all of this if she didn’t mean something.”

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