Apex

26 | dead zone

JULY 21

ALLIX

"Is it a date or not?"

Rowena had been interrogating me for the last half-hour, her blue eyes wide in her hunger for details that I wasn't going to give her.

"We'll see," I quipped, avoiding my sister's gaze in the mirror. I knew she would see right through my fragile facade if she looked into my eyes.

"I hate when you're evasive," Rowena pouted, plopping down onto my duvet. "One day you're caught up in some crazy island conspiracy, and the next you're going on a coffee date. Can you please just pick a lane? I can't keep up."

I set down my light-pink tube of mascara, and appraised my makeup one last time before turning to face Rowena. "I don't want you to judge me. I feel like you are."

Rowena clicked her tongue. "Allix, I'm definitely not judging you. If I wanted to judge you on something, it wouldn't be this because honestly, it's way overdue."

I arched my brow. "Is it?"

"Absolutely. You two have been putting this off for a long time."

"Timing is important. You can't rush something like this."

"Timing is a procrastinator's favorite excuse, and nobody actually wants to be a procrastinator."

I leveled Rowena with a cold yet comical glare and pointed at the door. "Out. Get out."

Rowena threw up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, no need to direct your pent up romantic angst at me."

"I don't have any pent up romantic angst."

She snorted. "Well, to whom it may concern, one way to overcome romantic angst is to get in a good-"

I covered my ears, blocking out the vulgar word. "Nope! Not today, Rowena. Not today."

With that, I dropped my phone into my bag and left a giggling Rowena to her devices.

*

When I arrived at the same quaint luncheonette where Brenna hosted the disastrous brunch two months earlier, I was running late once again.

The moment I stepped inside, the sweet scent of baked goods and coffee weaved its way into my lungs. Even though it was a Monday afternoon, there were still plenty of people. That didn't come as a surprise, though; anywhere that served coffee on Friday Island was almost always busy.

I glanced around and noticed one other familiar face sitting in a corner booth with a book. No one else in the luncheonette was paying her any attention, which had been our goal. Besides, the last thing I wanted was to fight off the paparazzi, especially considering what happened with Zachary.

I decided I wasn't going to attempt catching her eye and made my way over to the person I was actually here to meet.

"Hey," I greeted with a smile, sliding into the booth.

"You're late," Hadley stated.

"I had to parallel park," I sighed. "You know I'm not very good at it."

"Yeah. That's why you failed your first driving test."

"Don't remind me."

A waiter swooped by and took our orders. I got a banana muffin to go along with my iced vanilla latte, something that Hadley seemed to find very entertaining.

"So." Hadley folded her hands on the table, her french manicure immaculate. "What are we doing here, Allix?"

"I never wanted us to be on bad terms, and I feel like we are," I admitted, and felt my chest constrict. It was never simple, never easy to be so truthful, but I knew it was necessary. Honesty was how I planned to pave my way forward.