Page 55 of Counting the Stars
“Oh.” Alex’s sister looks at her brother as if she’s just realizing he’s been standing next to her. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Of course I’d be here,” Alex groans. “Why is it so surprising that I showed up for our parents’ anniversary?”
“Your attendance rate at these events continues to decrease,” Isabella states matter-of-factly. “You attend approximately four percent of family gatherings, so the probability of you showing up today was slim.”
“Ah, you must be the math genius.” I snap my fingers as I continue to sort out who’s who.
“Who are you?” Isabella tilts her head to the side.
“I’m Gab—”
“Gabriella Ramirez of Starboard Beach. She’s a registered nurse and our baby brother’s date.” A man with a predatorylook pushes past the two sisters. He grabs my hand and kisses the back of it before I can pull it out of his clutches.
“Cool it, Angel.” Alex steps in front of me and stares down his brother. I rub the back of my hand on my dress. I feel like I’m back in kindergarten and he just gave me cooties.
“Relax, baby brother. I was just coming over to introduce myself to your friend here,” Angel’s voice taunts. “Lilli caught me as soon as Camilla and I walked in and read us the riot act.” He holds his hand up like a Boy Scout oath. “I promise to be on my best behavior. After all, this night is for Mom and Dad. Unlike someone else we know, I don’t want to disappoint them.”
The vibe this guy gives off sends a shiver right down my spine. It’s easy to see why Alex isn’t a fan of his brother. I’m happy Lilli was looking out for me…wherever she went. Unfortunately, as soon as we entered the building, someone pulled her away and I haven’t seen her since. She warned me that would probably happen. Still, it would be comforting to see her kind and familiar face right now.
Wanting a sense of security, I take a step closer to Alex. As if on instinct, he places his arm around my waist.
“So you live in the same town as my brother?” Victoria asks.
“Yes.” I perk up a bit. I’m glad for the shift off Angel. “We live next door to each other.”
“Isn’t that charming?” Angel supplies a snarky retort. “Looks like our brother didn’t have to look too far to find a date.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” The grip Alex has around my waist tightens.
Before Angel can respond, another member of the Jones family enters the ring.
“Alex!” A man with similar features to Luis’s comes up alongside Victoria. It’s then I realize Isabella is nowhere to befound. With the size of this crowd, I didn’t even see her walk away.
“What do you want, Roberto?” It’s still early into the event, yet Alex sounds exhausted from his family already and I can see why.
“Mom and Dad want to see you in the family suite.” Roberto points to a hallway on the left.
“I know where it is.” Alex’s hand glides from my waist to the small of my back. “What do they want?”
“I don’t know,” Roberto scoffs. “They just told me to find you and bring you back.”
“I think they mentioned discussing speeches or something like that,” Angel replies, but a gut feeling tells me he’s not being truthful. “I already signed up for the first slot.”
“I’m sure you did.” Alex starts to lead me in the direction of the hallway. “Come on.”
“Uh…” Roberto stops us. “Mom and Dad specifically asked for Alex only.” His eyes shift to me. “You’ll have to stay back.”
“No!” Alex goes rigid. “I don’t know what’s going on, but Gabby is my date and she’s coming with me.”
“I-it’s okay,” I stammer. “Besides the quick meeting last night, you haven’t seen your mom and dad in a while. I can understand why they want to spend some time with you alone.” Plus, Alex’s response was louder than intended and we’ve drawn a crowd of onlookers. The last thing we need is to bring any negative attention our way.
Alex dips down and whispers in my ear, “I feel like I’m feeding you to the wolves if I leave you by yourself.” He looks up and scans the room around us. “I’d feel much better if Lilli were around.”
“Then I’ll walk around and try to find her,” I reassure him. “You should probably go. Your brother is looking impatient.”
Alex gives one last desperate scan around the room before conceding. “Okay.” He swallows. “Text me if something happens and I’ll be back as soon as I can—and you!” He points over my shoulder to Angel. “Stay away from her.”
“No worries, little brother. I’m running for city commissioner and I just spotted the mayor. So if you’ll excuse me.” He glides past us and adds, “I need to go shake some hands and rub some elbows.”