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She sniffled. “Not’s tonight.” She held a bottle of tequila precariously by the neck. “I’s shopping.” Her slurred speech and bloodshot eyes made it clear she’d opted for a liquid dinner.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is ran out of tequila.” She lurched toward the exit, still holding the neck of the bottle.
She released her grip to steady herself on the next display we reached. “Why aren’t you at the dinner? I was totally ssssure my brother would invite you.” She poked a finger into my shoulder.
“He did.”
“Oh.” She almost fell when she rolled her eyes at me, but then grabbed a shelf and steadied herself. “Hard to get, huh?”
I reached for her tequila bottle. “Let me help you with that.” This wasn’t a discussion to have with my boyfriend’s drunk sister.
“Thass mine,” she complained.
There had to be a reason, a big one, why she’d chosen drinking herself stupid over hanging out with her family. “I know,” I assured her and tried again. “Why are you drinking?”
“Cuz.” That single word was all I got out of her.
We made it to the checkout line, and I added her bottle to the counter with my frozen delights.
“I shoulda got some a that too,” Pris said as my ice cream was scanned, having already forgotten I hadn’t answered her question about the dinner invitation. She turned. “I’m gonna get some.”
I grabbed her elbow before she could leave. “I’ll share.”
She looked at me confused for a second and then nodded. “K.”
“Pris, you want me to call one of your brothers?” the cashier offered. “To take you home.”
“Pfft,” Pris scoffed as she shook her head. “Is got my truck.”
“I’ll drive her,” I assured the cashier as I paid.
Outside, I guided her toward my car. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
My question started a flow of sobs as she stopped and leaned against a car. “He’s dead. Lee’s dead.”
I got weak-kneed at that. “Does your family know?”
She sobbed. “No. And you have to promise not to tell them.”
Pris was in a world of hurt, so I did the one thing for her that I could. “I promise.”
* * *
Boone
When I got back home,it wasn’t late, so I took the path around the house to Angela’s cottage. As I turned the corner, I noticed the lights were off. That could mean only one thing—I’d push too hard and turned her away. Instead of staying up working and waiting for me, she’d chosen solitude and darkness.
Then I stopped myself. This was silly, worrying about whether she’d stayed up for me or not. She’d been working hard, and we’d been playing hard at night as well, trading sleep for… There was no other way to put it:sex.
Maybe this was a message to be better. Message received—don’t be a controlling asshole. She’d told me she was escaping that Kevin jerk, and maybe tonight I’d put myself in that same hated category as him.
I kicked at a root, but it didn’t do me any good. I was still an ass, and I could only hope this setback didn’t last. Tonight my brother Case had taken a step forward in his relationship with Jordan, and it looked like I’d taken a step back in the one I wanted—with not a lot of time to fix it.
CHAPTER29
Angela
