“What was I supposed to do? Turn her back out to walk to town in the storm?”
She was quiet.
“Look,” I said, dialing back my frustration. “This conversation is going nowhere. Thanks for getting her car. I’ll see that she’s able to pick it up today. And I expect you to be decent to her. Got it?”
Silence.
“Bristol?” I hated what I was about to say, but sometimes Bristol needed a reminder. “You, of all people, should understand what it’s like to be judged based on perception rather than reality. Especially when those perceptions are based on the past.”
I let my words settle.
I respected the hell out of my little sister and knew she had a good heart. She would give the shirt off her back to anyone who needed it. I knew Anna leaving Sterling Mill without a goodbye had hurt both of my sisters. But they’d never even tried to talk to her when she visited. Their loyalty to me superseded everything. For a while, I took comfort in that.
But now, seeing Anna so different from the vibrant girl we once knew, I couldn’t bring myself to addto it.
“History has a lot to teach,” Bristol finally said, but there was no fire behind her words.
This time, it was me who remained quiet.
“Fine,” she finally said, drawing out the word like I heard her stepdaughter do when she knew she’d lost a fight. “I’ll be polite. But don’t expect more than that.”
“Good enough.”
She snorted.
“What do I owe you for the tow?”
“You? Nothing. Her? I’ll think about it.”
“Bristol.”
Her sigh was long. “Just the standard towing fee.”
“Put it on my tab, please.”
“Chase, that woman has deep pockets.”
“Just do it.”
“Ugh. Whatever.”
“Bristol?”
“What.”
“I love you.”
“You can’t see me, but I’m rolling my eyes.” Her voice turned a tad lighter. “Love you, too. I just don’t like that she’s staying with you. She can afford to stay anywhere else. I don’t want to see you getting sucked in again.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “I’m not sure what’s going on with her, to be honest. But I promise I’m not getting sucked into anything. Just two old friends who have a lot to catch up on. That’s all.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
I ended the call and closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. I understood why Bristol reacted the way she did.
So why did I feel so damn defensive of Anna?
