Page 65 of Angel

“Who all is going to be in Chicago?” Sophia asked.

“Let’s see. My parents. And Franko, Dominic, and Lia...”

“God, I haven’t seen Lia in years!”

“I still don’t remember her,” Paige said.

“You haven’t met… or, I guess, re-met her?” Sophia asked.

“Nope. She’s the only person in Angelo’s family that I haven’t, I think.”

I rubbed the top of Paige’s thigh. “She’s going to be thrilled to see you both. Oh, I almost forgot! Tre will probably be there as well. He’s kind of become a staple at Salvatore gatherings.”

“And what about crazy family rituals?” Sophia pressed. “Anything there we need to prepare ourselves for? Any chanting over the ham or dancing naked around a bonfire in the woods?”

“We’re not pagans, Sophia.”

A shiver ran through the arm Paige pressed against me. I reached over and rubbed both her shoulders. “Are you all right? Are you cold?”

“I’m fine,” she said to a spot six inches off from my face.

“You’re pale.”

Paige looked at the floor. “Really, I’m fine. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

Sophia’s lips pursed.

Something was going on.

“What is it?” I questioned.

They exchanged a look.

“All right,” I nearly shouted. “I can respect your psychic twin abilities most of the time, but sometimes it gets pretty annoying. If something is going on...”

Paige cut me off. “I’m just nervous. That’s all.”

“Nervous? But you know my family, Paige. They adore you. My dad thinks the sun rises and sets on both of you.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “I know, it’s just… It’s the whole Christmas thing.”

I hugged her a little tighter. “You don’t like Christmas?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I used to love it, but now I don’t know.”

Sophia let out an unmistakable angry sigh. “Have you guys been talking about this at all? I really think it’s time you just told him, Paige.”

Fear itched in my chest. A dozen possible bombs formed in my mind. “Tell me what?”

Paige’s jaw ticked. “It’s no big deal. I’ve just been feeling kind of nervous.”

“About this trip?”

“Yes, and about… other things.”

“For how long?”

She pushed back a lock of her long dark hair. “Um, a while.”