Page 14 of Precious Legacy
Taking the bottle that’s still in my grip, she fills her glass back up again, watching the pour carefully as she speaks. “My reasons had nothing to do with The Five. If anything, they were the reason I stayed in as long as I did.”
It’s almost frustrating how closed off she is about this. I’d expected her to be more open about this with me, but she’s being deliberately vague. Whether it’s out of self-preservation or because she doesn’t want to influence me, she keeps quiet, so I have no other option than to make assumptions.
“Was it to keep an eye on things?” I push, earning another dry laugh from my aunt. “You know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
“I’m not that sly, Alanis!” she chuckles. “I just don’t have the answer I think you’re looking for. Me and your uncle have always battled one another. I felt like I owed the city something by staying in the force, and he felt I was just doing it to push his buttons. God knows it’s not like we needed the money. But… eventually, I guess I just got tired playing for both sides.” She sighs like uttering those last few words lifts a weight off her shoulders. It makes me wonder who else she’s divulged this to. I’m certain Mom would know because they’re each other’s ride or die. They wouldn’t spill one another’s secrets to a single soul.
“Tired?” I question.
Lexie nods, rubbing a finger over her bottom lip in thought. “Tired of fighting Trigger, your dad, the city...”
I chuckle at her honesty because that doesn’t sound like herat all. She fights my dad whenever she gets a chance. They’re like siblings, bickering until my mom comes in and breaks it up. Half the time it’s actually comical, while the other half can get a little dicey, so me and Alvaro have always stayed out of it. Thinking about it only makes me question her true motives further. I guess we all have our breaking point, though. Twenty years of people doubting your loyalty—no matter which side—can eventually wear you down.
“Why are you asking me this, anyway?” Lexie asks with a smirk, like she already knows the answer.
My chest suddenly feels heavy and my words sit on my tongue, just waiting to come out. Dropping my gaze to my lap, I follow the trail my fingers make up and down the stem of the wine glass while a nervous heat crawls up the back of my neck. “I’ve…”deep breath.“I’ve been accepted into the academy.”
There’s a deafening silence that follows my words, one where I feel like I can’t even look at my aunt for fear of what I might see. She’s never been one to point out my errors or flaws, only allowing me to notice them and accept them. But it’s still hard to look her in the eye when I’m expecting her to tell me how stupid I am.
“And you’re here for me to talk you out of it? Pfft… you should know me better than that, Lani.”
I jerk my head up in surprise, spotting the smile curving her lips. For a moment I’m not really sure how to answer her. Maybe I was hoping she’d convince me… of what? I’m not really sure.
“I guess I just want to know if I’m making the right decision,” I grumble.
“No, you want me totellyou that you’re making the right decision, and I can’t do that. Onlyyouknow your reasons for wanting this, and if they outweigh the little voice in your head that is questioning your motives, I think you have your answer.”
Damn,she knows me too well. But now that the hardest part is over with, I feel a little more at ease. That’s the effect Lexie has with her relaxed attitude. She digests information before reacting, which should worry people, but I know it’s her way of keeping calm and weighing up the facts.
“It wasn’t a rushed decision,” I explain. “I’ve thought it through.”
“I’m sure you have,” she smiles. “You wanna know the difference between you and me?”
“Aside from age?” I laugh, raising a brow.
Lexie swats my leg with the back of a hand, feigning offense as she takes a sip of her drink. “You’re your mother’s daughter. Cassie never did anything without a reason, and she’s always had a damn good one.”
“You don’t say no to The Five,”I mock.
“True,” she chuckles. “But your mom has this ability to know when something isn’t right. If anyone can give you the advice you’re seeking, it’s her.”
I had a feeling she’d try to get me to talk to my mom about this, and while I know she’s right, I’m just not ready to go there. It took a lot for me to even tell Lexie. I’m less than a month away from my first day at the academy, and I’m still not certain if I can do it. I know I have what it takes, but confidence and certainty are two very different things. I know once I tell Mom about this that I’ll have to tell Dad, so I need to be sure about what I’m doing before breaking the news. Because once I do… there’s no going back.
“We’re not the same,” I mutter, because it’s the only retort I can come up with.
“Oh, but you’re much more alike than you realize,” she winks.
Rolling my eyes, I finish off my drink. I can already feel the start of a hangover setting in, and with Lexie’s lack of advice, it only frustrates me more. “I came for your advice on whether I should really do this or not,” I finally admit.
“Well, I can’t tell you whether to join the academy. I have an idea how your parents would take the news, but it’s not about them. It’s about you and what you want. What do you reallywant, Alanis?”
“I want this,” I reply with certainty, feeling lighter the second I say it out loud.
Lexie grins conspiratorially, clinking her glass against my empty one. “Then go get it.”
Iwake up the next morning with a surprisingly bright outlook and fresh perspective on my future. While the worry of telling my parents about my acceptance is still nestled in the back of my mind, I push through it and decide to sweat out all the wine I drank last night and try to avoid the hangover I was promised.
Moisture trickles down my spine as I pick up my pace on the treadmill. I hit the incline button, pushing past the wall that tries to hold me back. The steady beat of my feet pounding the rubber paves the perfect rhythm that discards my thoughts. All I can focus on is my pace, my pulse, and the prospect of a future.
