I rubbed a reassuring hand over Julesโs back as we stepped
off the elevator and straight into an apartment that looked like itโd been lifted from the pages ofย Architectural Digest.
Light gray walls, black marble floors, gold fixtures. It screamedย bachelor pad, but unlike two years ago, feminine accents now added a softer touch: a bouquet of white lilies here, a watercolor painting there.
โWeโll be fine,โ I whispered to Jules.
Weโd both fucked up in our own ways, but we could finally move on from the past togetherโฆafter we cleared our last hurdle.
โEasy for you to say,โ she whispered back. โYouโre a blood relation. Iโm not.โ
โShe loves you more than me.โ โHmm. Thatโs true.โ
My laugh died when Ava met us at the private elevator entrance to the apartment she shared with Alex. I quickly dropped my hand from Julesโs back.
Weโd finally scrounged up the courage to tell Ava the truth a week after we made up, but all that courage died in the face of my sisterโs expectant smile, which melted into suspicion when she saw Jules standing by my side.
Iโd called to tell her I was coming, but Iโd left out the part about bringing Jules. I didnโt want her piecing two and
two together before we told her ourselves.
Then again, that mightโve been a smarter move. Let her get the shock out of her system before we saw her.
Dammit, Chen.
Well, it was too late now. We had to face the music as it came.
I pasted on my most charming grin. โHey, sis. You look absolutelyย ravishingย today. Here.โ I shoved a box containing her favorite Crumble & Bake red velvet cake at her. โI brought you a gift.โ
Ava didnโt take the cake. Instead, her eyes roved between me and Jules, who stood next to me with an overly bright smile of her own.
โWhat are you doing here together?โ Her suspicion visibly deepened. โYouโre not going to ask me to mediate another argument, are you? Because youโre both grown adults.โ
Jules and I exchanged a quick look.
Maybe we shouldโve come up with a better plan than
bring Ava cake to butter her up.
Alex came up behind Ava and notched an eyebrow when he saw the Crumble & Bake box.
Really? Thatโs your plan?ย He didnโt have to say the words for me to hear them, loud and clear.
I glared at him.ย Shut up.ย He replied with a smirk.ย Asshole.
He seemed to have forgotten thatย heย once snuck around my back to date my sister.
โLetโs talk about this over cake,โ Jules chirped. โNothing like red velvet to start the night right.โ
Ava crossed her arms over her chest. โI need to sit down for whatever youโre about to tell me, donโt I?โ
โMaybe. Probably.โ I cleared my throat. โDefinitely.โ
The four of us settled in the living roomโAva and Alex on one couch, me and Jules opposite them. It was near
sunset, and the dying rays of light streaming through the windows spliced the room into half shadow, half golden warmth.
The cake box sat on the coffee table between us, unopened.
โSo, the reason weโre here together is because, uh, we came together,โ Jules said.
Alex sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.
โAnd the reason we came together is becauseโฆโย Cโmon man, itโs a Band-Aid. Rip that fucker off and deal with the consequences later.ย โWeโre dating,โ I finished.
Ava stared at us with a blank expression. โRomantically,โ Jules clarified.
โBoyfriend and girlfriend,โ I added. More silence.
Ava hadnโt moved since we started talking, which wasnโt good.
A bead of sweat trickled down my spine.
It was crazy. I shouldnโt be scared of myย littleย sister. But chatty Ava was normal; silent Ava was kinda terrifying.
Then, she did the last thing I expected. She burst into laughter. She covered her face, her shoulders shaking, while Jules and I exchanged another, worried glance.
Fuck, did we break my sister?
โGood one,โ Ava gasped in between breaths. โYou almost had me.โ She tried to straighten her face only to collapse into laughter again a second later.
โUhโฆโ Of all the ways I pictured this conversation going, Ava losing her marbles wasnโt one of them.
Jules knocked her knee against mine. โShe thinks weโre joking,โ she hissed.
โIย know.โ I cleared my throat. โAveโฆโ
โHonestly, Iโm impressed you guys put aside your differences long enough to come up with this plan.โ Some of Avaโs mirth had finally subsided, though her grin remained.
โAveโฆโ
โIs this payback for Vermont? Because that was months ago, and I had no idea thereโd only be one bed.โ
โAva, weโre not joking!โ
My declaration rang through the room, followed by thick, stunned silence.
My sisterโs grin disappeared. โYouโre notโฆโ Her eyes darted between us again, taking in our tense expressions and the way our thighs touched. Horror dawned on her face. โYouโreย actually dating?ย How is that possible? You hate each other!โ
โWelllllโฆโ I dragged the word out. โNot anymore.โ
Jules chimed in. โWeโve been working together at the clinicโโ
โIt started as a no strings attached kinda thingโโ โWe didnโt plan for this to happenโโ
Our voices overlapped in a rushed explanation before Ava held up a hand and cut us off. โHow long have you been dating?โ
I winced. โEr, a week this time around.โ โWhat do you mean,ย this time around?โ
Goddammit. Weย definitelyย shouldโve come up with a script for this.
Since it was too late, Jules and I forged ahead and told Ava everything, starting with our s*x-only arrangement and ending with our reconciliation last week. We left out the ugly details about Max and chalked our breakup up to a misunderstanding, but otherwise, it was a pretty comprehensive summary.
By the time we finished, Avaโs skin had taken on a faint green tint. She glared at me. โYouโre telling me youโve been sleeping with my best friendย for months?โ She pointed at Jules. โAnd youโve been sleeping with myย brotherย for months? I canโt believe you didnโt tell me earlier!โ
Jules gave a helpless shrug. โI never found the right time to tell you I was banging your brother.โ
The green tint on Avaโs skin deepened.
โYou did the same with him!โ I gestured toward Alex, who watched the scene unfold with a bored expression. He didnโt evenย tryย to help.ย Traitor.ย โYou guys were dating for months before I found out. Donโt be a hypocrite.โ
โThat was different,โ Ava growled. โWe didnโt loathe each other with a burning passion, then turn around and start making out.โ
โI know this is a shock, considering my pastโฆdifferences with Josh.โ Julesโs bottom lip disappeared between her teeth. โBut with us working together at the clinic and seeing each other so much, it just sort of happened. We really hadnโt planned to keep it from you for so long. We just werenโt sure it was even going anywhere, and we didnโt want to tell you until we were. It would make things too awkward.โ
โRight.โ Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath. โAlex, bring me a knife.โ
I paled. โWhoa, whoa, whoa!โ I held up one hand and drew Jules closer to me with the other. โIโm your only brother. You love me. Remember when I gave you the last of my Milk Duds at the movie theater? Good times.โ
Ava ignored me until Alex returned with the requested knife.
I scowled at him. So this was how I was going to die. Betrayed by my best friendย againย and stabbed to death by my sister. Julius Caesar had nothing on me in terms of a shitty death.
My heart pounded as Ava grasped the knife, leaned forwardโฆand opened the dessert box. She sliced off a piece of cake and took a bite.
Silence descended.
โShould we say something else?โ Jules whispered.
โShe still has a knife in her hand,โ I whispered back. โLetโs wait.โ
We watched while Ava finished eating with an unreadable expression. But when she spoke again, her voice had lost some of its hard edge. โHow serious is this?โ
Relief loosened the knot of anxiety in my chest. I recognized that voice. She was coming around.
I wasnโt worried about her cutting us off forever because we snuck around behind her back, but I also didnโt want to spend weeks on the outs with my sister.
โI no longer want to kill her every time I set eyes on her, so pretty serious,โ I joked before sobering. โListen, I know this must be weird as fuck for you, but I promise, we wouldnโt be here if itย wasnโtย serious. You know what I asked you when I found out about you and Alex? What you said?โ I flicked my gaze to Alex, whose bored expression gave way to one with more interest. โI feel the same about Jules.โ
โAva.โ I stared at her in shock, trying to make sense of a world that had turned upside down. My sister and my best friend. My best friend and my sister. Together. โDo youโฆ love him?โ
There was a short pause.
When Ava finally answered, her voice was soft but steady. โYes. I do.โ
Present Ava stared at me a second longer before she stood and tilted her head toward the kitchen. โLetโs talk. Alone.โ
Jules gave me a semi-nervous glance as I stood. I responded with what I hoped was a reassuring smile before I joined my sister in the kitchen.
โDid you mean what you said?โ Ava asked once we were out of the othersโ earshot. โAbout what you feel for her?โ
โYeah.โ My face softened. โI love her, Ave. We may still fight and argue sometimes, but at the end of the dayโฆsheโs it.โ
I would take a thousand fights with Jules over a thousand easy days with anyone else.
Because I didnโt want easy. I wanted her.
โRight.โ Ava sighed. Her shoulders finally relaxed, and a smidge of guilt passed over her face. โI didnโt mean to give you such a hard time, especially since you were so understanding when I told you about Alex. But Iย knowย how you are with women, and I know how Jules is with guys. You both hate commitment. I just donโt want you breaking each otherโs hearts. I love you both, and I canโt choose a side if that happens. That being saidโฆโ She jabbed the blunt edge of her knife into my chest. โIf you hurt her, I will murder you.โ
โWhat makes you think Iโd be the one doing the hurting?
I could very easily be the hurtee.โ
Was that a word? If it wasnโt, it was now.
โMurder. You,โ Ava emphasized with additional jabs.
โFine.โ I grinned. โSo, does that mean youโre okay with us dating?โ
โI guess,โ she grumbled through a burgeoning smile. โMy brother brought to his knees by my best friend. Good job, Jules.โ
Another scowl replaced my grin. โShe did notย bring me to my knees. At least, not figuratively.โ
This time, Avaโs smile was the one that disappeared. โOkay, one rule. Donโt talk or make innuendos about your s*x life.ย Ever.โ She mimed gagging.
I laughed and pulled her into my chest for a hug. I ru๏ฌed her hair the way I did when we were kids, earning myself a mu๏ฌed protest. โI wonโt, but the rule applies to you, too.โ
โFine.โ Ava batted my hand away and smoothed her hair with another grumble, but her annoyed expression soon melted into something softer. โSeriously, Iโm happy youโre happy. I know things have been hard withโฆeverything. Iโll always be here for you, but Iโm glad you have someone like Jules by your side. She can be a bitโฆdramatic
sometimesโโwe both let out knowing laughsโโbut she has one of the biggest hearts I know.โ
A ball of emotion formed in my throat. โI know.โ I squeezed Ava tighter and dropped a small kiss on the top of her head. โThanks, sis.โ
Even though we annoyed the hell out of each other sometimes, I was lucky to have her as my sister. Before I met Alex, she was my sounding board for all my problems and vice versa. We didnโt confide in each other as often now that we were all grown up with our own lives, but there would never be a day when we didnโt have each otherโs backs.
