Stealing Home(57)

As I sat at the small table in my apartment, I knew this wasn’t home. It was so quiet, but not the kind that felt peaceful. The kind that felt lonely. The kind that made a person reflect on crazy things like the definition of home.

Just as I was straining my teabag, hoping chamomile might be up to the task of allowing me some sleep tonight, there was a knock on my front door. I wasn’t expecting anyone and I hadn’t had time to make any friends in San Diego who would feel comfortable enough to just swing by at nine o’clock at night.

When I glanced through the peephole to see who it was, I sucked in a breath. After the way things had gone down between Luke and me, I’d never expected to hear from any of his sisters again. Then again, I did remember the very one standing on the other side of my door warning me that if I hurt him, I’d have three sisters to answer to.

I guessed I didn’t need to wonder why Alex was here.

Unlocking the door, I pulled it open. She returned my conventional smile, shifting like she was uncomfortable.

“Please don’t tell me you drove all the way from Oceanside,” I said softly.

She shook her head. “My sisters and I are staying with Luke this weekend.”

I exhaled some relief before my next question popped to mind. “Does Luke know you’re here?”

She shifted again. “Not exactly.”

I exhaled. “Alex . . .”

“He wouldn’t have let me come if I’d told him where I was going. I took a cab.”

“You need to let him know. He will lose it if he finds out you’re gone this late at night.” Grabbing her arm, I pulled her into the apartment and closed the door. “You can use my phone.”

“I’ve got a phone when I’m ready to call him, but first, I need to talk to you.”

“Alex . . .”

“Luke has always taken care of me. Of all of us. I want to take care of him for once.”

“And what does you being here with me have to do with taking care of him?”

“Because he cares about you.” She motioned at me. “I don’t know what happened or why you guys aren’t together anymore, but he’s miserable and I need to know why. Since he won’t say anything, I’m going to have to get it out of you.”

I took a moment to consider my options. I could call Luke right now and drive her back to his place, or I could hear what she’d come here to say and then take her to his place. Judging by the look on her face, I’d probably have to throw her over my shoulder to get her into my car before she told me whatever she was here to say.

What was five minutes?

“This sounds like we’re going to need chocolate.” I sighed, wandering into the kitchen.

Alex followed. “Chocolate would probably be a good idea.”

“Good thing I just stocked up,” I said, pulling out the end time’s stockpile of chocolate.

Alex’s eyes went round. “The last time I saw this much chocolate was when my ex broke up with me.” When she gave me a knowing look, I snagged a fun-size Twix from the stash. She took a seat on the barstool across from me, pulling a chocolate-and-caramel Kiss from the bag. “So why aren’t you guys together anymore?”

I didn’t answer until I’d finished my Twix. Just to see if the chocolate and sugar made it easier to talk about. “We weren’t ever really together to begin with.”

“Eh, yeah, you were,” she replied, giving me a look.

“You saw us together once, Alex.”

She popped the Kiss into her mouth and shrugged. “But I know Luke, and if you two weren’t together, he wouldn’t have let us see you together at all. He’s never introduced us to anyone he’s been with other than you.” She was already fishing for her next piece when one side of her face pulled up. “Well, and . . .”

“Callie?” Okay, another piece of chocolate was in order after saying her name out loud.

“You know about her?”

“Yeah.” I popped a few M&M’s in my mouth, trying to cut the bitterness.

“Did he tell you?”

“No.”

“Is that why you broke up with him?” She bit her lip, chewing something out on it. “Because if it was, I know why he didn’t tell you.”

I shook my head. “That wasn’t the reason. At least not the main one.”

Pulling her long braid around her shoulder, she studied me. Almost in the same way Luke had so many times. “What is the main one?”

“That’s between Luke and me.” A few more M&M’s got dumped into my mouth. My plan of dulling the pain via chocolate was working. At least a little.

Alex was quiet after that. I wasn’t sure if she was waiting for me to say something or trying to figure out what to say next. I felt bad that she’d come here and I couldn’t be honest with her about the reason her brother and I hadn’t worked out, but there was no way I could tell her the real reason. I didn’t want to tarnish her view of her big brother.

After digging out a handful of Kisses, she started to make a little pyramid with them. She was on the second row when she glanced up. “Do you know about Owen too?”

I didn’t know his name, but from the sound of her voice, I knew who she was referring to. “The little boy? Yeah, I found that out on my own too.”