Meet Me at Sunset (Evening Island) - Olivia Miles Page 0,68

not sure I ever knew who I was. I just did what I thought I was supposed to do, without questioning anything. And I’m…I’m not happy.”

“So this job?” Gemma eyed the sandwich as her stomach grumbled. It would be rude to eat in times of Hope’s distress. But it would be just as rude to not take the food that Hope took such care to prepare.

She slid her hand onto the plate. Hope didn’t seem to notice, or care. She was staring at her lap. Her cheeks were blotched. “I haven’t decided anything yet. I haven’t told Evan.”

“I remember when you met him,” Gemma said, giving her a grin. Didn’t Hope remember that too? She used to talk about him all the time back then, always with a smile. She seemed to shine around him. To glow in a way that she never had before.

Hope managed a small smile. “He was so cute. And so attentive. He was everything I thought I wanted. Now I wonder if I was fulfilling the path that Mom and Dad laid out for me.”

“You adored him,” Gemma reminded her, realizing that she was speaking in the past tense and not sure how that made her feel. She’d been so caught up in her own breakup, she hadn’t considered that Hope could be having struggles of her own. Had she not seen the warning signs? She frowned, trying to replay the past few months, but she was certain that she hadn’t missed anything. That Hope hadn’t let on. More than that, she hadn’t shared.

Just like Mom, Gemma thought sadly. But the trait had carried down, to all of them in their own ways. They all hid their true fears, from the world, from each other, even maybe from themselves.

Hope was quiet for a long moment. “Yes. I suppose I did adore him.”

She patted her thighs and stood up, as if that was that, the conversation was over. And just as quickly as she’d broken down, she had pulled herself together. She was Hope again, with her honey-blond hair smoothed away from her face, standing tall and thin, looking elegant as always, even when she should have been a gawky and gangly teenager.

“I had a reason for coming up here, actually, and it wasn’t just to bring you food. I’m having a little dinner party. Sunday at seven.”

“A dinner party?” Gemma wasn’t so sure what her sister expected from this. Usually her parties took weeks, if not months to plan. They were catered events with long invite lists.

“Something small and casual. I’ll cook. But…I thought it might be a good way for all of us to spend time together. You, me, and Ellie.”

Hope gave her a pointed look and Gemma knew better than to argue. It might be a good way to smooth things over with Ellie. A party, with other guests. A celebration of sorts. And now that she was further along in her book, she could almost look forward to a night off.

“Who would we invite?” Simon was the first name that popped to mind. Ellie would be happy about this.

Hope shrugged. “Invite the caretaker from next door if you want.”

Gemma was flustered that her sister had even noticed her talking to Leo, but the idea was appealing. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “He might not be into that type of thing.”

Hope gave her a sly smile as she set a hand on the doorknob. “I have a feeling it’s exactly his type of thing.”

Gemma didn’t feed into that comment, even if she knew she’d still be thinking about it long after Hope had gone back downstairs. She felt a connection with Leo, and Hope had picked up on it too.

“Who are you inviting?” she asked. After all, it wouldn’t be a party without guests.

Hope hesitated, then, in a carefully poised tone, said, “A friend.”

“The lady from the shop?” Gemma asked. She took a big bite of her sandwich. God, it tasted good.

“No.” Hope hesitated. “Someone I met on the ferry.”

Gemma stopped chewing. “A man? Oh, Hope!”

“He’s just a friend,” Hope said, giving her a stern look.

Gemma felt uneasy about this, but she knew she was in no position to argue. She didn’t know what went on in Hope’s household anymore than Hope knew about what went on in the parts of her life she kept hidden from the world. It had all been as big of an illusion as her relationship with Sean.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” Gemma pleaded, and Hope