Lexi Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 25) by Faleena Hopkins

Author:Faleena Hopkins [Hopkins, Faleena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

GAGE

Cherry’s looking at me with those bright green eyes of hers, “Of course I really want to know,” and all I can think is that I don’t want her smile gone.

It’s been a great night so far. An adventure I hadn’t expected when I’d gotten ready to pick her up. I was showering, shaving, getting dressed with no notion we’d be chowing down in some ancient structure whose echoes even echo.

I wipe my mouth with a paper napkin, and blink from the food to the virtually empty space, procrastinating.

Feels too big

For something so new.

I grumble, “I’ve never been the type of guy for chit chat anyway,” giving in.

“What do you mean?”

“I go deep.”

A smile flickers at the sexual joke she wants to make. It makes me grin for a second, but we lose the smiles.

I hold her patient gaze. “We forgot the beers, Cherry.”

“Oh!” She digs them out of the bag, hands me one bottle to twist open, and takes care of the other for herself. “To going deep.”

I repeat the toast, “To going deep.”

The clink pings off walls and returns to us. Staring at each other, we take a drag. She holds her bottle and I set mine on the old metal desk we chose as our table. Licking my lips, I exhale, inhale, and say what I haven’t said aloud to myself or anyone all week. “This is the one year anniversary of my sister’s suicide.”

Shocked tears jump to Lexi’s green eyes. “Oh my God, Gage, no!”

“Afraid so,” I rasp, setting the bottle down, glass on metal echoing, too.

Lexi turns off her speaker, staring at it as tears fall down her cheeks. Wiping them, she explains, “I’m so close to Sammy, just the thought of losing a sister…”

My ribcage tightens.

Lungs burning.

Her emotion pulls mine.

I don’t want it to.

Can’t go there.

It’s too easy to stay.

Rising slowly, Lexi gazes at me as she walks up and bends to move my legs away from the desk, straddling my lap and embracing me.

I bury my grief in her neck, breathe in her sweet-smelling hair and kindness.

“I’m so sorry, Gage.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She tightens the hug, and I do the same, sitting together like this for who knows how long.

When we pull back to look at each other, Lexi stays here with me, hands on my triceps, mine on her hips as she asks, “What was her name?”

I grimace, “Heather,” adding, “I haven’t said her name in months. Makes it fucking real.”

“I’ve always loved that name,” Lexi offers, voice soft.

“Mom and Dad wanted a boy and a girl. They had our names picked out before either of us were even a glint. They liked how Heather and Gage sounded together. Two syllables and one. Nice balance.”

Lexi smiles, “They do have a nice ring.”

I release her left hip to rub my eye. “Yeah…”

“Why did she do it? Do you mind my asking? We don’t have to talk about it more if you don’t want. I mean that.”

Dropping my hand I stare at Lexi’s necklace, a tiny rose-gold outline of a heart.

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