A Love Like Ours

Chapter 33

From the corner of my eye, I watched her click out of her seatbelt. "Nervous?"

I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, still... even with what we were about to face looming quickly on the horizon. She was in her comfy clothes—a pair of leggings and a large sweatshirt—and her hair was tied back away from her face, half of it hanging down around her neck. It had felt like so long since I'd seen her (even though it had been little more than a month) that I couldn't really bear to look away, which had made the ride back home from the airport interesting, to say the least.

It was a wonder we hadn't gotten into an accident with the amount of times I'd caught myself looking at her. She'd filled me in about her class this morning, the way she'd been running around all week trying to find something to wear to the Grammy's (with no success), and she'd told me how exhausting her flight had been, as she was sat next to a young woman, maybe a few years older than us, who was more interested in chatting than she was in watching a film or reading a book.

How could I not watch her as she spoke, as her enthusiasm for what she was saying—the stories she was telling—exuded out of her entire being? But the closer we got to the house, the quieter she became. And then I was glancing over to check and see if she was alright.

Mads let out a shaky breath as she stared at my house, but her lips tilted a bit at the corners. "What gave me away?"

I smirked. "I couldn't shut you up for the first half of the ride. But you haven't said two words for the last twenty minutes."

She didn't even laugh. "Let's get this over with."

Mads pushed the door open, but I stopped her with a hand on her arm.

I could see the apprehension in her eyes, feel it twist around in my gut. I felt horrible for doing this to her—for having to bring her here under these circumstances. She'd tried to be calm about it when I told her the other day—tried to act like she was fine with it. Said she would have to face my sister sooner or later, and it was better to do it sooner. But the closer we got to the house, the tenser I could feel her becoming beside me. For Mads to be that quiet by the end of the ride... I knew she was very quietly panicking.

And I could see that panic written all over her face now.

"It's going to be fine," I said, lifting her hand and bringing it to my lips. "I'm on your side, remember?"

The corner of her mouth quirked up for a moment, but only a moment. She slid her hand from mine a second later, and got out of the car without another word.

I followed suit. And as I met her at the trunk, where we'd stowed her bags at the airport, I couldn't help but recall Gemma's reaction to all this earlier in the week. Couldn't help but linger on her words in my mind.

"You're not serious," she had said when I'd told her that Mads would be coming out for the weekend as well.

I'd winced, and wished I'd chosen to talk to her about this from the comfort of home, rather than wait for her to call me and catch me while I was out and about for the day. Luckily, I was heading back to my car after a meeting.

I'd glanced both ways before crossing a street in downtown L.A. "Very serious."

Gemma huffed, and before she could say anything else, I added, "And I expect you to be nice to her, Gem, even though I know you don't like her."

Rather than answer, she huffed again.

"Please," I'd said. "I know you're unhappy that we're back together, but I love you both, and I think this weekend will help you to see that things really are alright. They're better than alright, they're... really good right now. Better than ever, actually. And she's already nervous about seeing you because she knows how you feel, and I just—please don't be nasty to her. Please."