Page 21 of What If We Soar?
As soon as the curtain was perfectly adjusted, Elliot raised an eyebrow at me, a knowing look in his eyes. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, which was weird, because I never blushed.
I cleared my throat, about to change the subject, when Elliot took over.
“Dad hates it when Mom takes forever to get ready. And that’s the only reason why she always says it,” he said, amusement in his voice.
I leaned forward with a deep sigh, resting my elbows on my knees and letting my head hang low, supporting it with my hands. “Either way, she always says it.”
“True.” I felt him leaning back, abandoning his phone altogether. “She’s not like those girls you usually date. Alana seems quieter. I don’t know if I should be worried.”
“You?” I laughed, half-disbelievingly, half-confused. “Why wouldyoube worried?”
“Your record of finding girlfriends who are only using you is worrisome.” That wasn’t wrong, unfortunately. “Besides, Mom asked Nova and me to find out everything we could about your girlfriend so we can prevent another mistake.”
Was this thing between Alana and me going to be a mistake? I wasn’t sure, only time could tell. But as long as we stuck to the deal—baking and confidence lessonsonly—we would’ve been fine, right?
I looked up and stared at Elliot for a moment, his words lingering in the air between us. The concern in his eyes was unmistakable, which should’ve worried me more than ever.
Elliot was a sweet kid for sure, and somewhat surprisingly, the complete opposite of me. He was a lot more mature at sixteen than I’d been back then. He was concerned about so many things that I hadn’t even once bothered to think about at his age.
At sixteen, I barely gave a fuck about myself. Stupid me was just glad he got laid and could brag about it to his stupid, just as immature, friends. I was still a hopeless romantic, always ending up falling deep, just to get my heart broken, when it turned out that I was the one getting used.
Elliot cared about his image. He didn’t fall for just anyone. He cared about Nova and her fear of driving. He even skipped his painting classes just to drive her. He’d always go to the grocery store with Mom when Dad was at work, only because he refused to let her go by herself.
He’d even take Sage and Ash, our dad’s best friend’s kids, to school when their dads couldn’t because of their work schedules.
Elliot was a great kid. But he was still only sixteen. The last thing to worry about should’ve been his older brother.
To lighten the mood a little, I nudged him in the side and said, “I didn’t know you could be concerned for me.”
“I shouldn’t be. You’re only twenty-one, Eden. You shouldn’t have been in about six relationships in three years, all of which turned out to be using you. And that’s not even including your high school girlfriends.” A long exhale drew from his lungs. “I’m only sixtee?—”
“Seventeen in like two weeks.”
“Still. I’m not supposed to worry about my older brother getting played by every girl he’s dating. And by the way, your experience makes me dread finding someone for myself.”
I laughed despite knowing that I shouldn’t. “I mean, you could always do what Brooke did. Find someone in the family.”
Reece wasn’t family before he married my sister, but my parents’ best friends werebasicallyfamily. I grew up with all of them.
I had more sleepovers with their kids growing up than with my actual cousins. Well, to be fair, we either lived in the same building or on the same street our entire lives. Plus, I wasn’t really in touch with my parents’ siblings’ kids. Or my aunts and uncles, for that matter. It was a complicated story.
“Like who? Jamie and Kieran would be the only options, but I’m not into guys.”
My shoulder pulled up into a shrug. “Guess you’ll have to wait until Maisie or Sage are older.” They were only three years younger than Elliot anyway. Now it sounded strange, but in a few years, when they were all over the age of eighteen, nobody would give a flying fuck about it.
It wasn’t going to happen anyway. Maisie was way too sweet a girl for someone like my brother. Besides, if Jamie ever found out Elliot had a thing for his sister, he’d make my brother’s life a living hell.
Sage would simply eat him alive.
Elliot turned away from me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you girls ready sometime soon?”
Nova giggled loudly before replying, “Just a second!”
“Did you decide on the blue dress or the black one?” I asked, being sure they wouldn’t come out of the changing room anymore. Not once did Alana take more than two minutes tochange an outfit and show it to us, but I could swear they’d been inside that room for ten minutes now.
Before either of them responded, Nova emerged from the dressing room with a triumphant grin on her face. “Neither.” She held up a red satin dress. “This one looked the best on her.”
“And why exactly didn’t I get to see it on her?” I inquired, narrowing my eyes at my sister.
