Page 183 of Empire State Enemies

It’s tough, watching her process this. Grace has grown up; she’s not the little sister I used to watch over every moment. She’s a woman now, strong, competent, and capable, even if she doesn’t know how to use a washing machine without shrinking clothes.

We’ve never done the whole living separately thing. Our relationship has always been the classic big sister/little sister deal, and honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. But if I don’t loosen our bond just a little, we’re going to end up as those eccentric old ladies living together forever, with me nagging an eighty-year-old Grace about leaving puddles on the bathroom floor.

So, for the first time in our lives, we’re taking separate paths. It’s time to face a world where we don’t have to sacrifice for each other, where we’re both standing on our own two feet as adults. And that time is now.

Her face falls. She huffs sharply, emotion creasing her face. “We won’t even be in the same city?” Hearing the hurt in her voice twists my heart, like I’m betraying her in the worst possible way.

I give her a gentle nudge, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. “Come on, I’ll just be a phone call away. Not disappearing off the face of the earth. But this is your chance to chase your dreams on your own.”

She takes it in with a wobbly lip.

“Hey, it’ll be fine. Whenever you need me, I’ll come running, even if I have to hitchhike or steal a car.”

Well, maybe not steal a car.

I hold her shoulders, forcing a smile even as tears threaten to spill down my cheeks. “Take the job at Quinn & Wolfe, Gracie.Connor swore he’d steer clear, and he’s honored that. They’re even throwing in a place to stay for new interns. This is your moment, amazing Gracie.”

I smile, even as Grace’s tears fall.

I always knew she would conquer New York in ways I never could. But I did one thing right—being the best big sister I could be.

I made sure Grace had all the opportunities I didn’t have. And I’m proud of that. I’m proud of her.

She’s going to soar at Quinn & Wolfe. She’ll show them what she’s made of.

Even though it feels like losing a limb, I know it’s the right decision.

She wipes away angry tears. “I give you a year max before you settle down with some boring teacher in gray slacks, obsessing over your garden.”

I laugh through my own sheen of tears. “Doubtful. I’m not heading to a retirement community. I might actually get to have some fun for a change.”

She rolls her wet eyes at me. “Yeah, right. Ellicott City’s idea of a wild night is probably playing Scrabble at the community center and being in bed by nine.”

Just the mention of Scrabble sends a pang through my heart. Ridiculous, I know. Pathetic, even.

Ellicott City might not be the city that never sleeps, but it’s a fresh start. A place devoid of Connors, Brendas, Vickys, and Deanos—and free from the ghosts of plumbing past. I’ll take quiet over drama any day.

I know it won’t be a fairy tale. But I found a cute house—yes, an actual fucking house with a yard and everything. A place where I won’t have to perform a full-on bicep workout just to get the toilet to flush. I know; I tested it.

And for the first time in a long time, I feel . . . content.

It’s a different kind of happy, one that doesn’t come with dizzying highs and devastating lows. Just a smooth ride. And it’s really nice.

I’ve done what I needed to do in this city, and now it’s time for me to move on. To start a new chapter in a new place. Someday, maybe I’ll come back when I’ve made something of my career, when I can live in the city on my terms. But right now, New York isn’t the place for me.

Grace wraps me in a fierce hug as we both cry.

“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper, my voice cracking with emotion.

And I mean it more than anything else in my life.

My amazing Gracie.

FORTY-SEVEN

Three months later

Lexi