“I hope so,” she murmurs, flattening out the purple blouse she’s wearing. The color always made her eyes pop, and they look as beautiful as I remember. “It’s been a while since you saw me.”
My lips twitch. She still sounds like the Lele I know, but older. More mature, I guess. Mia doesn’t give me a chance to say what I should have years ago before cutting off contact with her. “Leighton is in need of our help, so it’s perfect that you’re here, Ky.”
I blink. “Me? Why?” Lenny stares at the floor, making my brows pinch at her unusual silence. It’d taken her a while to warm up to us, but she ended up being a talkative kid. Though, maybe kid wasn’t the right word considering she’d shown up when she was twelve. Twelve is certainly not how she looks now, makeup or not. The tight, fitted clothing covering her body emphasizes that point in a brutally painful way. “You’re not in trouble, are you?”
Mia snorts. “Lenny? No. Come on, Ky, I know it’s been a while, but our little Leighton wouldn’t dream of stepping into your shoes.”
I flinch, though she’s not wrong. Growing up, I tended to be known as a grade A prick. Still am, at times, even at almost twenty-five.
“It’s nothing like that,” Leighton says quietly from beside me. She still won’t look up, and I know it’s a tell. When she’s worried about what someone thinks, she can’t meet their eyes.
It’s Gordy who says, “Maybe we should go sit somewhere?” He must sense this is more serious than Mia is letting on. My friend has had a soft spot for Leighton as soon as she stepped into our fast-paced world. Coming from nothing to being related to a household of celebrities, the Bishops, wasn’t easy for her. We all saw how her mother treated her, and I think Gordy felt for her, related to her. To be honest, it made me nervous at first. I wasn’t quite sure what his intentions were when I’d see them talking alone or catch them laughing at something, especially as she got older. I know my friend, though, and knew he wouldn’t do anything to my little— Well, to Lele.
We end up in the dining room, around Mia’s expensive designer table that I’m pretty sure she and Dylan never actually use for more than show. “What’s going on? I’m getting nervous.”
Mia waves her hand in the air. “Don’t be such a worrywart. Lenny called me a few days ago asking if it was okay if she came to talk to me about something. I, of course, was excited to see her.” She beams at Leighton. “I missed having you around.”
My sister liked having another sibling she could torture and look after. Not that I would ever admit it, but she used to paint my toenails when I was a kid to debate which color she wanted to do on herself and don’t get me fucking started on the makeup. With Leighton, I didn’t have to succumb to the shopping trips and makeovers anymore. I let her take over that torment.
“Anyway, I got Lenny a plane ticket to fly out here and—”
“Wait, hold on.” I stare at the two of them in confusion, settling my gaze on Lenny. “Why would you need to fly? Where were you?”
She shifts in her chair, which is between me and Mia. “I thought you… Uh, my mom moved us back to Arizona.”
“When?”
Her shoulder lifts.
Mia sighs. “Honestly, little brother, when do you think they moved?” Her thinly plucked eyebrows dart up expectedly until I get what she’s not outwardly saying. Oh. They moved after the truth came out, and that happened shortly before I left.
Squeezing my eyes closed for a second, I scrub a palm down my face. I need to shave the stubble that scratches my skin. “Shit. Sorry.” I think Leighton apologizes too, and I wish she didn’t. It was hard getting her to break that habit the first time. Knowing she reverted to it makes me twitchy.
“Anyway,” my annoying ass sister continues pointedly, “she arrived yesterday morning. Len, do you want to…?”
My eyes go toward the eighteen-year-old squirming next to me with her hands perched in her lap. She’s probably twiddling her thumbs, fidgeting like she always does under pressure. After a shaky exhale, she nods once. “I don’t know if you heard, but my mother passed away a few weeks ago. Car accident.”
Shoulders locking, I sit straighter. I hadn’t heard that, and I glare at my sister in accusation knowing she probably retained that information on purpose. It’s no secret that I didn’t like Katherine Grier. Doesn’t mean I wanted to see her dead even when she talked down to Leighton like her daughter was an inconvenience. “I didn’t,” I say sympathetically.
Mia smiles tightly. “Maybe if you actually picked up the phone when I call, you’d know more things.”
My jaw ticks, but I don’t have the right to argue with her. She’s right. Avoiding California and the people in it didn’t earn me the right to know everything that’s happening in their lives.
“It’s…” Lenny shrugs. “It is what it is. Um, anyway, I wouldn’t have bothered anybody here after what happened, but my mom’s family sort of disowned her and me a long time ago, and I still don’t know who my father is.” When she winces and dares to peek through her lashes, I see the fear in her eyes. What does she think I’ll do? Judge her? It was never her that I had an issue with, it was always her mother. Maybe if I’d gotten past my issues with Katherine, I would have found time to thank her for bringing Leighton into our lives—into mine, because she was the best thing in it after so long of thinking there was nobody like her out there. Kind. Genuine. Innocent. She didn’t cling to the lifestyle we lived. If anything, she repelled it. “I don’t have anywhere else to go,” she whispers.
My heart shatters in my chest, the tiny pieces sinking to the depths of my ribcage. All eyes are on me when I hear those seven words, probably seeing the pain threaded into my deep frown. Mia finds my eyes and nods slowly, reaching out to grab one of Leighton’s hands. My sister says, “You have us, Lenny. No matter what.”
I cuss to myself. “She’s right. You’re always going to have us backing you. Shit, Len, I should have stayed in touch. Tried harder to make sure you were okay.”
Again, she shrugs. Shrugs like it isn’t a big deal when it is. She loved her mother even though she saw her faults, and now she’s gone. How could she lift her goddam shoulders like me not being there for her isn’t huge deal? Fuck, it’s unforgiveable.
I curse again.
When I reach out, I try not letting the way she slightly flinches away soak into my conscience. I hurt her. I get it. I feel worse than she probably knows, but I felt like it was better to rip off the Band-Aid when I went away. She had her life and I had mine, and we’d caused her enough scrutiny when the press got ahold of the shit her mother created. I wanted her to have a fresh start—had hoped her and her mother would be better off anywhere but here.
“Len, look at me,” I say softly. I’m surprised when she obeys, gray eyes dull from the thoughts in her head. “I’m sorry. For everything. Truly, I am. Whatever you need, I’m here for you now. Okay?”
Her throat bobs, then she finally nods. I don’t think she believes me, but I’m determined to prove myself. I was there for her before, and I want to be the person she can depend on now.