Chapter 30
THIRTY
Nope. This was not happening. The scene in front of me was like a messed-up nightmare. I must have fallen asleep on the way home, tucked into Theo’s passenger seat while he hummed along to an eighties rock song. I was not standing in my apartment, watching my sister make out with Jack, my co-worker. I refused to believe this was my reality.
“Wake up, wake up,” I whispered, but when I peeked one of my eyes open again, the view was the same. How the hell had this even happened? As far as I knew, when they met at the gala last month, Devyn and Jack barely interacted. She hadn’t mentioned that they connected, much less that they were hooking up behind my back.
With my foot, I slammed the door closed, the sound reverberating through the whole apartment. They jumped apart, Jack hiding behind the kitchen island as Devyn’s eyes widened dramatically.
“Calla!” she squeaked out, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. “I didn’t think you were going to be home until tomorrow.”
“Clearly,” I scoffed. “Theo had a work emergency, so we decided to come back early.” I shook my head, rubbing my hands over my face. “Jack, I already saw you, so you might as well come out now.”
He sheepishly stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, Calla. How was your weekend?”
“Don’t hey Calla, me.” I pointed my finger between the two of them. “How long has this been going on?”
“It’s not,” Devyn said at the same time, as Jack answered, “Almost a month.”
Devyn glared at him, her hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned back to me. “Technically, we hooked up after the gala, but it was supposed to be a one-time thing. And after this weekend, I just…” She shook her head. “I called Jack, and we talked for a while. But this is just a hook-up. We are not dating.”
“Yet,” Jack called out from behind her.
“Never,” Devyn snapped back. “In fact, you should leave, Jack. There’s no reason for you to hang around, especially now that Calla’s home.”
He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “I already warned you, Dev. I’m not giving up that easily.”
“Keep dreaming.”
“You called me, angel.” He winked as he walked back toward her bedroom, emerging a couple of minutes later fully dressed. He waved at both of us as he walked out the door but blew Devyn a kiss as it shut. Her cheeks turned a furious shade of red, and she did everything she could to avoid my stare.
“Seriously?” I said when I was sure Jack was gone. “Out of all the guys in the city, that’s the one you decide to sleep with?”
Devyn shook her head, walking back into the kitchen without answering my question. I followed her, “I mean, I’m not trying to be judgmental, but I’m shocked, Devyn. I didn’t even think you talked to him, much less–”
“Fucked him?”
I placed my hands over my ears. “Things I do not need to know about!” I lowered them, staring back at my sister. “And this is…”
“Nothing.” She shrugged. “It was an itch that needed to be scratched. We’re not dating; I’ve made that clear to him. And trust me, this arrangement suits him just fine.”
“So it’s going to be an ongoing thing?”
Devyn paused, tapping her fingers on the counter. “I don’t know. Maybe. It works for both of us, so why not enjoy it a little longer?” She let out a long breath. “I don’t know why any of this matters to you.”
I rolled my eyes, moving to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, even though it was tempting to grab the vodka instead. “Because it’s something major happening in your life? And that there’s someone who might be around our apartment?” I closed the door and leaned against the fridge. “Besides, these are things sisters usually tell each other, Devyn.”
“Like you told me you were sleeping with Theo?”
The water almost slipped from my hand. My mouth hung open, unsure what to say. Not telling Devyn was one thing, but downright lying when she asked me about Theo? I couldn’t bring myself to do that. “How… Why do you think that?”
“Because Theo told Jack,” Devyn crossed her arms. “And then he asked me because he assumed I’d know. Because that’s the kind of thing sisters share, right?”
“That’s different,” I muttered, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie.
“You could have told me, Calla,” Devyn said. “I would have kept your secret, even if I thought it was a bad idea.”
“And that’s why I didn’t tell you,” I answered. “I didn’t want to hear what a bad idea this was. All my life, Mom’s been in my head, questioning every one of my choices. I wanted to do something just for me because it was what I wanted. He makes me so happy, Devyn.” I looked back at her. “I didn’t want to hear the negative. I didn’t want to talk about the potential fallout. I just wanted to hold onto this happiness a little bit longer.”
Devyn reached forward, encompassing me in a tight hug. It’d been a long time since my sister held me like this. I’d forgotten how good it felt, like she was taking all my cracking edges and holding them together for me.
“That’s why I didn’t want to say anything about Jack. I know that you think there’s something off about him, but he’s fun, Calla. And for the first time, I don’t want to second-guess everything. I’m not imagining a future with him. I don’t want anything serious. I just want to enjoy my life a little.” She chuckled into my shoulder. “And I didn’t want you to judge me.”
“I’d never judge you.” Devyn pulled back, giving me a knowing stare. “Okay, maybe a little, but only because I don’t trust Jack. I don’t know what it is about him, but there’s something there that bothers me. But,” I took a deep breath, “I want to know what’s happening in your life, Dev. I want to be there for you.”
“I want that too.”
After several silent moments, Devyn pulled back, brushing the tears away from my eyes. “I can’t lie to you and say I think everything will be okay, but if Theo makes you happy, hold onto that for as long as you can. And no matter what happens next, know that I am always in your corner, Calla. I’m not Mom. Yeah, maybe I have some concerns, but as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters most. You love with your whole heart, and you deserve someone who will love you the same way.”
“So do you. And if that’s Jack…” I swallowed, trying to ignore all the red flags popping up in my mind. “I don’t want to stand in your way either.”
“Not all of us get that great love story,” Devyn answered sadly, squeezing me once before stepping out of my embrace. “And some of us don’t deserve one.”
But before I could ask what she meant, she left the room, shutting the door on the rest of our conversation.