Read Online Poser by Cambria Hebert - Free Book Online Page B

for Ivy to see, but I could a little.
    Maybe a little was all she needed to start healing.
    For the first time in a while, I thought maybe everything was going to be okay.
    I grabbed Rim by the shoulders and yanked her against me for a hug. She was practically in my lap, but she didn’t protest. “Thanks, sis,” I said into her hair.
    “I’ve missed you too, you know,” she murmured.
    “I’m always here for you, Rim. That’s what BBFLs are for.”
    “I know. But I also know you have a lot going on right now.”
    I pulled her away so I could look into her face. “I always got time for you.”
    Her lips softened and pulled into a smile.
    Some movement at the edge of my vision caused my head to swing around. Ivy was hovering in the kitchen doorway, Prada tucked against her chest.
    She was watching Rim and me. There wasn’t a spark of jealousy in her eyes. But there was something else.
    A little bit of sadness. It squeezed my chest.
    I set Rimmel back in her chair and turned all my attention toward Ivy. “Hey, baby.”
    She blinked, clearing her expression. “Morning!” she chirped.
    I stood to go to her as she bustled into the kitchen to get Giz her breakfast. The dog was dancing around at her feet, impatiently waiting.
    “Coffee and donuts,” Rim said, and Ivy grinned.
    “You know I’m all about that life.”
    The sadness in her eyes was gone, replaced with her usual happy demeanor. It made me incredibly tired.
    And no, not because I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night.
    But because there was so much between us. So many feelings. So many secrets.
    Ivy set the small pink bowl on the ground, and Prada dove in. I hooked a palm around her waist and pulled her up against my chest. “Hey,” I breathed in her ear.
    Goose bumps rose up along her arms.
    She tilted her head back and looked up at me. Her eyes were looking more green than blue this morning. “Hey.”
    “Can we talk a minute?”
    A little bit of apprehension shone on her face. “Sure.”
    Just as I was about to lead her out of the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

Chapter Seven

    Ivy
    I heard her laughter from all the way upstairs.
    It was a distinct laughter, not because it had a notable sound quality, but because the only time Rimmel laughed that way was when she was with Braeden.
    B and Rimmel were close, a lot closer than I realized at first. I’d always known B had a soft spot for his “little sis,” and she was always more inclined to defend him when I would say rude things about him when we lived at the dorm. Still, I hadn’t really seen just how protective and even thoughtful he was with her.
    I wasn’t jealous, but perhaps I was tinged with a bit of envy.
    There was nothing between Rimmel and Braeden but the kind of feelings family had for each other. It’s not like I suspected or even worried something might happen between them when they were alone.
    It wouldn’t.
    Braeden loved me. I saw it in his eyes. I felt it in his touch. I loved him. I loved him so much sometimes it made me ache. Sometimes I walked around with a pit in my belly, this hollow place that gnawed at my insides, because just the idea—the threat—of not having him in my life was too much to fathom.
    And I didn’t know why, but the sound of Rimmel’s laughter this morning brought that feeling out in me. When I stepped into the kitchen, I saw them sitting together at the island, breakfast and mugs laid out before them. They weren’t eating. He was hugging her. His arms were wrapped around her, making her look small against his chest.
    Well, okay. Her hair didn’t look small. I seriously needed to help her with that today. I hoped she hadn’t scared anyone when she went to get donuts.
    She didn’t seem anxious to pull away. She appeared comforted by him and he by her. There was no barrier between them. It was as if I walked in on a moment when they were both completely open…
    And that’s where the envy came in.
    There was a barrier between Braeden and me. I