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“Train’s leaving, Apollo.”
He doesn’t pull his eyes from mine. “Miss me?”
“Already,” I confess.
One more brush of his lips is all I get before he grabs the handle to his duffel bag and leaves the room.
My sister stands awkwardly in the doorway. “I take it he didn’t mention having a slumber party?”
I shake my head, making her laugh.
“Is it okay?”
“Yes,” I whisper because I can’t imagine being alone right now.
She comes inside, closes and locks the door, then climbs in the bed with me.
We sit, both of us staring across the room, and it’s honestly more awkward than it should be considering that we’re siblings. We don’t know each other, and not counting the time she spent when I was at the hotel questioning every life decision I’ve made on my own, we haven’t spent much time together since I arrived.
“It’s been a busy week,” she says, breaking the ice.
“It has,” I agree, tangling my fingers on top of the covers.
“This is more awkward than I pictured in my head.”
I chuckle. “Just a little.”
“I know we aren’t close, but I want to be. Maybe we can start out as friends.”
“I don’t really know how to be a friend or a sister,” I confess.
“Ok. Well, friends, ones you trust at least, usually just sit around and gossip, and I promise that I’ll never tell another soul what we talk about. Some friends don’t keep those promises, and they aren’t really friends.”
“I know all about two-faced people who are nice just to get information.”
I was around those people both at school and at the compound. I’d confide in people who were just trying to get into the good graces of others, and I’ve been burned more than once for it. Cara doesn’t seem like the type though.
“So, let’s gossip.”
“About what?” I ask because I don’t know where to start.
“Who do you have questions about?”
“Gigi.”
Cara chuckles. “Do you have specific questions or just want an overview?”
“Let’s start with an overview.”
“Okay. Gigi is a hot mess, but she’s one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. I promise you’ll never have to guess what she’s thinking because it’s going to spill from her lips. I haven’t been here long, but from what I gather, she was the wild child of that twin set. She took off at eighteen and somehow ended up meeting up with Jameson—that’s Hound, her husband—who ended up working for Cerberus. I don’t know all the details, but apparently she’s more settled now than she ever was.”
“And Kincaid didn’t have a problem with one of his men getting involved with his daughter.”
Cara laughs again. “Oh, I imagine that he wasn’t ecstatic about it, but they’ve been together for years, have children together, and Kincaid seems fine with it now. You’re going to find around here that people are pretty accepting of just about all relationships. There’s very little judgement. You’re more likely to catch more grief for wanting to eat ketchup on mac and cheese than letting it slip that your man likes to be pegged.”
“Pegged?”
Cara shakes her head. “You don’t want to know.”
“It’s a sexual thing?”
“It is, but like I was saying, Gigi is amazing, she’s just a lot to get used to. I’ve talked about the compound with several people here. I didn’t at first, but I knew very quickly that I could trust them. I could talk with the girls and know they wouldn’t go tell their significant others. Not necessarily because they were willing to keep secrets, but because their men are amazing and would never ask them to betray that confidence. They have an idea of what I went through so they’re going to be cautious at first around you, and that includes keeping Gigi at a distance until you’re a little more comfortable. She’s just as likely to tell you that you should’ve stabbed Charles Knight in the dick as she is to compliment your shoes.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “I think I like her already.”
“Right?” My sister laughs. “Anyway, they know you were sheltered, and they don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m an eighteen-year-old pregnant cult defector.”
“And because of that, you have certain ideals they may think they understand, but deep down, they don’t. So, they’re going to walk on eggshells. And before you complain about them not being themselves around you, believe me, I understand. I felt exactly the same way. I noticed the conversations coming to a halt. I felt their eyes on me when I walked in a room, and I promise it’s not going to last long. Probably not even as long as you want it to. Once you get settled in and you’re more comfortable, they’re going to be more comfortable.”
“Okay,” I agree. “I guess you’re right. I don’t know that I could handle open conversations about sex in a group setting. I still blush when Nate looks at my mouth.”
