Nova

“Yeah? I’m glad she got lunch,” I said, putting my books onto my desk.

Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “It was that Hugo guy. The cute one with the dark hair?”

“That doesn’t surprise me. They’re friends.”

She walked over and sat on my bed, crossing her legs. “It doesn’t bother you? I mean, they looked really friendly. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

I did my best to swallow back my annoyance at both. I knew Hugo wanted more. Hell, I’d been there when he’d asked her out. But I’d also been there when she said no, and when she came to my bungalow. I wasn’t going to play into Zoe’s need to incite a riot.

“No, it doesn’t bother me that she had lunch with a friend. And thank you for the concern, but Rachel and I aren’t up for discussion, Zoe.”

She squirmed under my stare. “Fine. I just care about you.”

“You want to get out here and—” Pax startled when he saw Zoe draped over my bed like a damn porn star. “Uh. Hi, Zoe.”

“What’s up?” I asked, sending him a little telepathic save me message.

“Bobby needs you in the dining room.”

“On it,” I said, walking out of my room without a backward glance. “Thank you,” I told Pax as we walked past the bar and the other girls in the living room.

“You didn’t…?”

“Hell no!” The girls all turned to look, and I lowered my voice. “I haven’t touched anyone but Rachel since she showed up.”

The relief on his face was almost palpable. “Oh, thank God. Because the last thing I need is Leah hating you. She’s already had a hard enough time accepting you were the one who hurt Rachel in the first place.”

I slapped him on the back, admiring the change in his priorities these last couple of months. I’d stupidly worried that Leah would distract him, but she’d focused him, given him a purpose that turned into an even more intense drive. “No worries.”

Penna came in through the sliding glass door, moving surprisingly well considering the giant boot she wore. “What did you guys need?”

“Originals production meeting,” Pax said, and we pulled out chairs at the dining room table while Penna stood. At least a production meeting meant there weren’t any cameras.

“I don’t really have anything I need to be here for,” she said.

Pax’s eyes shot fire. “I’m done with this shit. Your leg is healing, and you’re coming back. It’s been us three since the start. If we made it through almost losing Nick, we can handle this, too.”

“Nick didn’t almost destroy us,” she said quietly, her eyes flickering to where the girls were discussing some reality TV bullshit.

“Neither did you!” Pax shouted, uncaring about the audience.

Penna crossed her arms over her chest.

“Pax…” I warned.

“What? She didn’t.” His gaze swung back to Penna. “I get it. You feel guilty. Guilt that you didn’t know, that you didn’t catch on, that she is your sister. I get it. She’s your family, but you know what? We are, too. So sit your ass down and help us figure out this scheduling mess, Penelope!”

She arched a single eyebrow at his tirade.

He sighed and pulled out her chair. “Please.”

She looked at me.

“We have always needed you, and that’s not going to change,” I said softly.

Her sigh was audible, but she sat.

Bobby came over from where he’d leaned against the wall while waiting for us to get our shit together and laid out the calendar in a series of papers along the table.

“I talked to Nick. Your timeline is fucked,” he said, not mincing words.

“Well, that sounds promising,” I said as the sliding door opened again. Leah and Rachel walked in.

Rachel had on a little green sundress that had to have been specially designed to bring me to my knees. There was no other explanation for the immediate need that clawed at me to strip it off her.

“Hey, Firecracker, come on in,” Pax said to Leah.

“I thought it was an Originals-only meeting,” Zoe said as she came out of my bedroom. Shit.

In my fucking Led Zeppelin T-shirt.

Fuck. My. Life.

Rachel’s eyes widened as she looked at Zoe, then swung to me in question.

I held her shocked gaze and shook my head.

No, I didn’t touch her.

To my utter relief, she didn’t freak. “Nice shirt,” she said to Zoe.

“Yeah, it’s his favorite,” Zoe replied.

“We don’t have fucking time for this,” Pax hissed under his breath.

“I know. I was with him when he bought it,” Rachel said with a sweet smile, and firmly put Zoe in her place.

Fuck, I adored her.

She walked straight over to me, and as I turned to pull out the chair next to me, she sat in my lap instead. Even better.

Once Leah was seated, Bobby started again. “Okay, here’s the deal. You’ve got Sydney tomorrow, then New Zealand, then midterms in Fiji, then home for Christmas.”

“Where’s the issue?” Pax asked.

“Well, your boy here wants to go back to Nepal,” he said, pointing at me.

Rachel turned. “You’re serious?”

“We all had one thing that we wanted to nail during this documentary. That ridgeline is mine. I’m not okay with what happened. I’m not okay walking away having failed. The documentary needs it. Nick needs it. I need it.”