Page 103 of Unsure in Love

Sighing, I gazed at the house. Nic called earlier to tell me the girls were waiting. “No, I lied to my sisters for an entire year. I can’t continue hiding from them.” Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside.

Damian joined me and we walked to the porch holding hands. I didn’t let go when I rang the bell because I needed the physical support to help me keep it together mentally and emotionally. Would my sisters forgive me for lying to them? Did Lucy still hate the very sight of me?

My stomach rolled with nausea, and I prayed I didn’t throw up on my sister’s porch.

Damian eyed me warily. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“No, but I have to speak with them. I owe them that much.”

When Lucy opened the door, our gazes collided and the words she’d thrown at me the other night instantly started to replay in my mind. She’d hurt me but maybe I deserved it. We just stared at each other for a while, and I wondered if Nic had been wrong about her wanting to see me.

Finally, she said, “Cass, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

When she engulfed me in an embrace, my hand slipped from Damian’s to return her hug and a little of the tension seeped out of me.

She pulled away to greet Damian. “Hi, Damian.”

“Hey, Lucy. How are you?”

“Better since you found my sister. Thank you.”

“I wasn’t missing,” I grumbled, twisting my hands in front of me. I was so on edge. “Where are the others?” I asked, peering into the living room.

“Waiting in the kitchen.” Lucy shrugged. “Tessa thought we might need comfort food.”

I smiled. “Of course.”

Lucy gestured for us to come in. I trudged behind her to the kitchen as if I was on my way to the guillotine. Maybe the girls would all attack me again, and I wasn’t sure my current mental state could take it. Damian’s hand rested on my back as if he felt my anxiety. Just like that, my severe case of nerves subsided. It was nice to have a… partner.

As soon as I stepped into the kitchen and saw April and Tessa, trepidation gripped my heart again. Silence hung in the air until it was shattered by a happy squeal.

“Aunt Cass! Damian!”

Kelsey ran down the stairs, wearing a pink fluffy onesie and carrying a stuffed bunny under one arm. I grinned as she flung her arms around my waist. “Daddy said I could stay up to tell you guys goodnight.”

I hugged her. “I’m glad you did.”

She beamed and then turned to Damian with a toothy grin. I watched them do a ridiculously adorable handshake. Kelsey’s giggles floated around the room, completely stemming the tension for the time being. My heart almost turned to a puddle at the way Damian engaged the eight-year-old. He’d make a great parent.

Nic chuckled and shared, “They’ve been doing that since she turned five.”

Kelsey and Damian fist-bumped, and she sang, “Night, Damian.”

“Good night, Kels.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Nic said, pointing up the stairs.

Kelsey did the rounds, giving everyone good night hugs and kisses before running off.

“I didn’t know you and Kelsey were so close,” I said. We’d all been so busy preparing for the wedding when Damian first came to Oakland that I didn’t get to see him interact much with Nic’s daughter.

Damian shrugged. “I babysat when they lived in Brooklyn. The kid knows how to throw a proper punch. I taught her a little self-defense,” he announced proudly.

I rolled my eyes. “Of course, you did.”

His sheepish smirk made me want to laugh until I remembered the impending conversation with my sisters. It got quiet and awkward again. I hated it.

Thankfully, April lifted the tense blanket again. She stepped forward. “I was worried when we couldn’t find you.”

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