Page 33 of Chasing Home
I take another bite of my lunch and make sure I chew extra softly to keep from letting her hear it above the music.
She swirls a green stick of celery into the dip. “That sounds nice.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Do you have any siblings, Rory?”
I fix my gaze on her features and watch as her lips turn down and the blue in her eyes grows hard and solid. She’s angry, but I’m unsure if it’s from my question or something else.
“I have a half-sister.”
“I’m going to assume that you aren’t close?”
Her next bite is ruthless, and she rips the end off the celery stick and glares at the remainder of it. “You could say that.”
A laugh builds in my throat before I swallow it down. “I’m sorry you’re not close. I couldn’t imagine not being close with my sisters.”
“We’re hardly sisters,” she huffs.
My brow jumps. “Wanna elaborate on that?”
“No.”
I laugh at her bluntness. It’s refreshing. Reminds me of Garrison.
“Alright. Well, if you ever decided that you wanted to, I’m interested in learning more.”
Her nod is jerky before she lifts the quesadilla to her mouth and sinks her teeth into it. I divert my eyes while she eats and focus on eating my food. Soft music continues to play as we eat in silence, and I let it be the only noise. I don’t want to force her to open up to me.
I’m happy with knowing what I’ve learned so far.
11
AURORA
The empty cup that once held a caramel macchiato with extra, extra caramel stares at me from my desk as I attempt to scroll through the updated expensive filing system I’ve been implementing into Steele Ranch the past two days.
I wasn’t anticipating coming into work this morning to find my favourite coffee waiting for me. And I definitely wasn’t expecting the note written on the side of the cup.
Everyone should start their day with something sweet, darlin.
I’ve since drank it all. Down to the very last drop and gob of caramel sauce. I’ve been dealing with the sugar high since.
“Is there anything I can do?” Eliza asks from behind me.
With a glance over my shoulder, I offer her an appreciative smile. “Actually, I was hoping you could answer some questions about Wanda for me. If you don’t mind.”
Her lips purse. “Wanda? Well, I don’t know much, but I’ll try my best.”
Good enough. “Thank you.”
I should be asking about my grandparents and father, but ever since Johnny told me about his sisters, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Wanda. If I asked any one of the people I’ve gotten to know here, they’d give me her number so I could speak with her myself. But I can’t do that yet. I’m not ready to hear her voice or see her face, even if I came here with the intention of doing just that.
I’m not at all ready for that meeting. First, I want to know what I’m getting myself into with her. Have some sort of idea for what kind of person she is.
She’s my direct line to Lee Rose, and I’ve realized that facing him scares the shit out of me.
Eliza sits in the same chair she did during my unofficial job interview and exhales tiredly. The wrinkles above her brows scrunch together as she readjusts her position, and then I’m up out of my chair. Compelled by the flash of pain in her eyes, I set a hand on her shoulder and try to offer support as she leans side to side, getting comfortable.
“Oh, you’re sweet. I’m alright. Just old,” she says with a half-smile.