Vivien leaned in, touching Crista’s arm. “Hey. You want to talk about it?”
“No, I’m just…emotional lately. More than, you know, usual.” She managed a quick laugh at herself, which touched Eli.
“You want to know something?” she asked after a moment. “The times you two did include me during those Destin summers? It was pure heaven. And I’ve been wanting some of that inclusion. I knew you were down here having fun and I…wasn’t.”
“But now you are,” Eli said. “So stay.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Anthony can’t handle Nolie alone that long. She’s got… a lot going on in school.”
“It feels like you’re the one with a lot going on, hun,” Vivien said, putting an arm around her little sister. “No wonder you encouraged Maggie to go to the Netherlands.”
Crista gave a guilty laugh. “Maybe a little.”
“Well, she’s gone for a while,” Eli said. “Could you bring Nolie down? She’s only in second grade. Could she miss a few weeks of school?”
“Please, she’d love nothing more, but…” She tipped her head toward the house. “Willshestill be here?”
“Yes.” Eli and Vivien answered in perfect sibling unity, the response instantly getting a rise from Crista.
“Why?” she demanded, sitting up like she might have to rocket to her feet again to make her point. “She’s not family. She doesn’t belong in our house!”
“She’s our friend,” Vivien said. “And Lacey’s working for her.”
Crista eyes widened. “What exactly has been going on in this house for the past month?”
Eli shifted in his seat, not ready to get into anything more right now. “Just think about it tonight, Cris.”
“I have to get a hotel.”
“Are you crazy?” Vivien asked. “This place is huge. I’ll move Lacey back in with me,” she added under her breath to Eli. “Crista can have Ka—the spare room.”
Crista instantly stood up and froze, then dropped right back down. “Either I had more of that drink than I realized or I’m just wiped out. I’ll go back tomorrow.”
“I’ll put clean sheets on the bed,” Vivien said, standing.
“And I’ll get your bags,” Eli said. “Assuming you have them.”
“One, an overnight bag.”
“Good. Then you’ll at least stay tonight.” He leaned over and kissed her on the head. “And longer, if we’re lucky.”
She looked up at him, more of that sadness in her expression.
“Because it’s more fun with you, Crista,” he added.
She rolled her eyes. “Liar. It’s just like it always was. Y’all are one little unit and I’m on the outside looking in.”
“But this time we’ll let you drink at the bonfires with the big kids.”
“Depends on who the kids are,” she said. “Because the price to get into the ever-elusive Big Kid Club might be my relationship with my mother.”
No one knew that better than Eli.
Oh, Maggie.Why did she make everything so difficult?
Tessa flung another blouse into her open suitcase, the fabric barely landing inside before Lacey snapped it back out.
“What are you doing?” Lacey demanded, grasping the garment with two hands and pressing it to her chest like the top was Tessa herself. “You don’t need to leave, Tessa.”
