Austen lowered herself next to her.“I’m sorry.Again.”
“It’s okay.Again.”She glanced over at her.“You’re not wrong.”
“I was wrong to call you trouble.You aren’t trouble.From what I recall, you got usoutof trouble.”
Emberly gave a harsh laugh.“Now you’re the one lying.”
Austen gaped at her.Then smiled.“Fine.I guess it’s complicated.So, Emberly is your real name?”
“I prefer Phoenix.”At least, right now.
“Because?”
She looked over at the woman.“Emberly is...someone Stein wishes was real, I think.”
“She’s not?”
“She can’t be.But...”She looked out at the lawn, the moonlight on the water, spotted the place where Stein had kissed her.“It was a nice fairy tale for a moment.The Boy Scout and the thief.”
“Stein was hardly a Boy Scout.”
“He said he was an Eagle Scout.”
“He was.And sure, he’d help an old lady across the road—probably would lay down in traffic for her.But he’s not Clark Kent—mild mannered by day, superhero by night.The guy has never backed down from a fight.Which I guess is why you two seem to ignite like fireworks.”
That was the second time someone had used that description about them.Emberly didn’t correct it.Mostly because she’d definitely felt like fireworks out there on the lawn,thank you very much.
“Don’t worry, Austen.I’m not going to let him get hurt.”A promise to herself as much as to Austen.
“Have you met him?”Austen gave the tiniest of laughs.“I don’t think that’s in your control.”
Emberly smiled.
“What happened to you in Cuba?”Austen asked softly.“He was really worried.”
That was probably the last thing Emberly needed to hear.She told Austen the story, ending with “I couldn’t believe it was him speaking to me in the darkness.Just...a voice.But...it was everything.”
Maybe that was too much information, because Austen said quietly, “Are you in love with my brother, Phoenix?”
She glanced at Austen.Swallowed.“No.I...I don’t have room in my life for love.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“But it’s the answer.Sure.Steinbeck is...he’s...”She sighed.“Just, like I said...everything.”
“Yes, he is,” Austen said, and nudged her.“He’s the all-in guy.”
“But you don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Of course not.”She glanced at her.“Although I do know that Steinbeck is a big boy.He can figure out what he wants on his own.And he’s been destroyed before.I have no doubt he can come back from a broken heart.”
Emberly’s chest tightened.So AustenexpectedEmberly to break his heart.
Well, in truth, she did too.Except, what if...
“I like your family.”
Austen smiled.“They’re okay.”
