“What’s everyone staring at?”

“Nothing, absolutely nothing at all.” Alice had to answer for the both of us. I stood behind the chair, unable to move and Tina stood by Alice’s chair taking her gaze from Eric’s face to my own.

“But now that you mention it, there is a huge pink elephant in the room and look it brought friends. Why don’t you two talk about that amongst yourselves. Come on Tina.”Alice pulled a reluctant Tina away to the front porch, leaving us two alone.

“So I’m an *****.” I nod.

“And you probably hate me. But I’m sorry big sis. That person last night, it wasn’t me. I just felt that Tina and I had something special.” Again I show no indication that I’ve forgiven him, or even hear what he’s sating to me. Instead I take a seat in the chair and open the paper.

“Bette, please if there is anything I can do…” Finally I look over the paper and he stops talking, waiting for me.

“Do you know what happened after you left?” He shakes his head slightly.

“Kit told me that something happened with Tina and Grace….but I didn’t have anything to do with that Bette.”

“She threw a glass at her, cutting her head open. She got stitches because of that woman…. So a lot happened after you left. To say the least.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You can’t say anything.”

“Does that mean you don’t forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. You apologized didn’t you?” He nods, but he still looks confused.

“Besides,” I begin, making my way over to him. “In the time you were gone, I missed you like crazy.” So that’s how we made up. He told me that Kit knocked some truth into him earlier this morning before he went on his daily run.

In truth I know that my brother meant it. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me when it came to my relationship with Tina. That’s just a line that wouldn’t be crossed. We made that silent vow in the kitchen this afternoon. Right before Tina came rushing through the door, with Alice trailing breathlessly behind her.

“Babe, I gotta go.” She says, pulling me to the door. In the half second that I got to look into her eyes, I saw a mixture of fury and pain reflected in them.

“Grace’s car just pulled up.”