Page 151 of Shelter
“Bastard,” he hissed. “I had no choice. Rachel lived with her brother,Cade,this dark-haired mangelic who was on the rowing crew at UT. Every time we’d hung out at Rachel’s, that pabster couldn’t take his bedroom eyes off Bree.”
I pictured Elise moving in with a Cade, and I almost couldn’t choke down my bile. When we’d met a couple of weeks ago at the gallery, it had been just shy of a setup. What if Ross had asked someone else besides me? Where would Elise be now?
I pulled into a parking spot in the lot outside Flora’s apartment and killed the engine. “Louis, thanks for calling, but I gotta go.”
“I get it, man. Go make things right.”
“Thanks, L. Give Bree my love.”
“Will do. And give Elise mine. It’d be great to see her again. To see the two of you together, I mean.” Again, this rare streak of seriousness almost addled me.
“I’d like that, too.”
“And Cole?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t fuck this up.”
I blew out a laughing breath. “I’ll do my best.”
Before I could even shut the driver’s side door, Flora stepped out of her apartment, her face lined with worry. My guts turned to lead.
I closed the distance between us. “How bad is it?”
“Your sister says she’d rather die than look you in the face.” Sorrow seemed to drag down the corners of her eyes.
“What about Elise?”
Flora’s mouth tightened. “I just don’t understand a word she’s saying.”
“What’s she saying?” I asked, moving to her front door.
Flora shook her head. “Just ignore it. Take care of your sister. Elise will sort herself out.”
I pushed open the door and scanned the empty living room.
“Ava’s in the spare room,” Flora offered.
I’d only been as far as the kitchen the last time I’d come, so I headed down the hall, expecting Elise to be with Ava. Flora followed at my heels.
I reached an open doorway to my left and found my sister, alone, stretched out on the bed, her eyes aimed at the ceiling. I turned back to Flora.
“Where’s Elise?”
Flora’s eyes widened in surprise, and she looked to Ava. “Cole, she needs your forgiveness.”
“She can wait. Where’s Elise?”
A frown pinched between her brows. “Cole—”
“Elise!” I shouted, spinning back to the hall. Two closed doors, one farther down and to the right and one at the end of the hall, stood in my way.
“What in heaven are you do—”
“ELISE!” She had to hear me. No way she couldn’t hear me. I stopped at the first door. “Why won’t you talk to me? What did I do?”
Flora approached me. “Honey, she’s in my bedroom,” she said gently, pointing to the door farther down the hall. Her look of surprise was gone, but now she wore one of concern. “Why don’t you just give her a minute? She was pretty upset.”
