Page 70 of Blinding Lights

“You don’t think?”

“I know. He’s not the greatest dad and he can make life hard for Lily. But he’d never physically harm either of them.”

“You of all people know there are more ways to hurt a person.”

Henley nods. “You’re right. But he’s nothing like Dad. Trust me. I would have never let him near either of them if he was.” She sits tall, and while the situation doesn’t exactly warrant it, I can’t help but chuckle.

“I have no doubt. And from your initial comment, I’d guess it wouldn’t take much on his part for you to kick his ass.”

“Exactly.”

“Lily’s lucky to have you. I’m proud of the strong woman you’ve become.”

Henley’s cheeks flush pink, and I can’t remember a time I’ve ever seen that happen. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

I nod a little ashamedly because that shouldn’t be new information to her. I’ve been proud of her for years, and I should have told her as much.

Staying on the topic of Ava, Henley tells me about her new obsession with princesses since our moment at the wedding, and for the next hour or so we talk more than we have in years. We chat about the bookstore, my team, and life back in California. Henley brings up Atlas and Hunter, and I admit to being a shitty friend, all while avoiding the topic of her and Atlas’s relationship.

And we talk about our favorite human, our hero, Mom.

“Do you think she’ll ever open herself up to love again?” Henley asks as I cringe, making her laugh. “I know you don’t like to think of her that way, but don’t you ever wish she had someone to share her life with? She’s had a few dates here and there, but nothing seems to stick. And while I’m close by, I don’t see her every day and…” She trails off, her shoulders rising briefly before they drop. And while she’s right—I don’t want to think about Mom having a boyfriend—I know what she means.

“He’d have to be pretty fucking incredible to deserve her, but yeah, that thought has crossed my mind.”

“Maybe we should find someone⁠—”

“And that’s my cue to leave.”

“Typical.”

“It’s been nice catching up, but I draw the line at playing matchmaker for Mom.”

“Fine.”

I smile as Henley finishes her third donut, and even though I wasn’t lying about it being nice to have a long, overdue chat with my baby sister, I can’t shake the feeling that our lives are about to change, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

Standing up, I pull her into a quick hug and step back, turning to leave. I’ve just opened the door when she calls out.

“You know, I was sure you were going to lecture me about Atlas.” I freeze at the threshold. I’ve been biting my tongue, but now that she’s mentioned it, I can’t hold back.

“Look,” I say as I turn to face her again, “I’m not going to try to tell you what to do when it comes to your relationship. It’s not my place. But I do want to say one thing.”

Henley nods, and while I expect her to roll her eyes, she appears as though she’s truly listening. Thank God. Tension eases in my shoulders as I continue speaking. “From the glimpse I saw of the two of you together, I’d say you are both pretty deep into this thing. Maybe even deeper than you realize. And I think you both run the chance of getting hurt.” You, more so than him. “So just…take it from someone who doesn’t open up and tell people how I really feel.” Her face drops as though this is the first time I ever let myself be seen. And maybe that’s true. I briefly close my eyes before opening them again. “It’s cost me a lot over the years, so just be honest with each other. Okay?”

She stares at me for a beat before shaking off the heavy conversation, and I get it. It’s not easy to face hard truths. I should know—I’m the king of avoidance.

“Well, on the same note…I have some advice for you.” She hits me with a stare to tell me I need to listen. “No matter what happens between me and Atlas, I hope you know how much he cares about you. You need him in your life because he’s the best friend you’ll ever have. And I want that for both of you. Just like Lily is the best friend I’ll ever have, and I can’t imagine my life without her.” She pauses before her lips curl into a smirk. “So you better not fuck up when it comes to Lily. I’d hate to see Mama cry over her baby boy if I had to kill you for hurting my best friend.”

I channel my public Beckett persona and laugh along with Henley, projecting a happiness I don’t feel. Because there’s no way in hell I can guarantee that. No more than Atlas can. And neither Lily nor Henley deserve that kind of life.

With a smile, I walk away, slipping my phone from my pocket to book a flight home. But as I slide into my rental, I hesitate. I can’t leave. Not yet, and since I’ve already missed practice…

Throwing my phone onto the passenger seat, I drive back to Lily’s. I have no idea what I’m going to do when I get there, but I have to see her one last time before I go.

Chapter Twenty

LILY