Trade It All(74)

“Now follow her hand.”

Lexi returned her touch to the figure and traced her arm down to her hand. She smiled as she explored how it was clasping another hand. She followed the other arm up to that figure’s face. “That’s me on the other side of the mirror.”

“Yes.”

Lexi ran her hands over both the figure on the other side and its reflection in the mirror. Her voice thickened with emotion. “I don’t know that I’m quite as strong as you think I am, but I try.”

Lexi’s instant understanding of what Willa had tried to capture, along with her willingness to experience it, gave Willa happy goosebumps. We’re back.

Willa removed Lexi’s blindfold. “You are every bit as beautiful and strong. If you ever doubt that, look at this. Look at us and know how much I love you and value you in my life.”

Lexi took a moment to appreciate the combination of painting and sculpture then wiped away a tear and hugged Willa. “I don’t know what to say. This is so beautiful.”

“Just tell me you love it,” Willa said softly. Her sister’s opinion mattered. It always had and it always would.

“Now I know where you’ve been hiding lately. I thought maybe you were hooking up with someone again and didn’t want to tell me.”

Willa hugged her sister back. “We’re beyond that.” As she said the words she realized how much she meant them. Lexi had never meant to hurt her and had simply tried to fix the situation. The past had no hold over them anymore. “Besides, I’m taking a break from relationships for a while.”

“Have you talked to Lance at all?”

Willa stepped back and shook her head. “Not since I asked him to stop sending flowers, which he still does—every day—and the bouquets keep getting bigger and bigger. It makes it hard to move on.”

Lexi pressed her lips together briefly then said, “Do you have to move on? Have you considered picking up the phone and letting him explain?”

Willa clasped her hands in front of her. I thought she understood. It hurts too much. “He doesn’t need to. I know him. He got scared. We have a chemistry that makes both of us stupid when we’re together, but we also have a pattern I don’t want to go through again. I hand him my heart on a platter, and he runs for the hills. He did it ten years ago. He did it again at Cape Cod. When I’m with him I don’t care about the future or if he’ll leave me. All I care about is how good it feels. But when he leaves me, it hurts so much. I can’t do it again. I can’t put myself through that kind of pain again.”

Lexi sighed audibly. “I hear that and completely understand. We’re good right now—you and I?”

“Absolutely.”

“If I ever screw up again, you’ll forgive me, right?”

“What did you do, Lexi?”

“Nothing. Just remember that I love you.”

Don’t panic. She has learned her lesson. She wouldn’t get involved again. “Please tell me you’re not planning to help me with something. Everything is fine. Work. My life. Don’t do anything.”

“It’s not me.” She waved a hand in air while looking a little offended. “Kenzi asked if we could fly down to Florida to check out some wedding sites with her and Dax. I told her we would.”

Willa let out a sigh of relief. “That’s it?”

Lexi shrugged. “I should have asked you before saying you’d go. Kenzi mentioned you weren’t returning her calls. I know you’ve had a lot on your mind lately, but this will be good for us. We’ve always said we’d go to Florida together. Now we will.”

A memory of their parents promising to take them on a Florida vacation went through Willa’s mind. She gripped Lexi’s hand. “Let’s go to Disney while we’re there. It’ll be amazing. A dream come true.”

“Let’s hope it lives up to expectations,” Lexi said vaguely. Then smiled. “So, you’re in?”

“I’m in,” Willa said and thought of something else. “Are you up to the flight?”

“For something like this, I guess I have to be. Besides, we’ll be in Dax’s private plane. I’m sure they serve martinis.” Lexi studied Willa’s face for a moment then asked, “You do want to go, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Willa did, but she couldn’t help but think about the last person she’d spoken to about that trip. Lance. Willa was relieved to be in a good place with her sister again—and excited they would finally take the trip they’d talked so much about as children—but a part of her wished she could share it with Lance.