Page 41 of Angel

For a second we just gazed at each other.

“I’m sorry,” I finally said.

She sighed. “Me too. For everything. For keeping the truth from you, and then for fighting...”

“I understand why you did it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s all… It’s complex.”

“You’re telling me.”

“You did everything you did because you love me…thank you.”

Sophia’s bottom lip trembled like she was about to cry. “I do love you, Paige.”

“I love you too.”

I bridged the space between us and wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me tight then pulled back and looked down to study my outfit.

“Wow! Look at you. Those heels and that skirt. Hot as fuck!”

I grinned. “I guess you’re rubbing off on me.”

“It’s about time.”

“And I haven’t fallen all week.”

“Wow, look at you. You make a momma proud.”

Leaving her bags where they were, she headed for the kitchen. “I’m starving. That flight kicked my butt and the food on it was awful.”

I plunked down on the couch. The driver that picked me up from work had already left, since I told him I didn’t know how long I would be. I planned on taking a cab back to Angelo’s. Since he wouldn’t be home till some undetermined hour later in the night there was time to kill.

I needed to talk to my sister. I just had to figure out how to get the words out.

“Ew!” Sophia squealed.

My head swiveled towards the kitchen doorway. “What?”

“This milk is spoiled! Have you not gotten any more?”

“Um...”

She came to the doorway. “Or have you just been drinking bad milk and not even noticed?”

I took in a deep breath. “I haven’t been here, actually.”

Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you haven’t been here?”

“I’ve been staying at Angelo’s.”

Her eyes went from tiny slits to dinner plates at the speed of light.

I hurried on to explain. “After I left here that day something happened. I had an asthma attack, a really bad one. I passed out. I went to the hospital and even though I was technically okay, Angelo wanted me to stay with him so he could keep an eye on me.”

“For three weeks?”