that hurting head was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.
She sat down on the bed next to Sierra and put an arm around her. “You can’t just stay here and mope. Come on, come with me.”
Sierra shook her head. “I need time to process what Mark said.”
Outside was a view of snug German houses with tiled roofs, flower boxes and shutters at the windows, and lawns with manicured hedges. An old castle ruin and a beautiful city awaited them. Her sister should have been having a wonderful time.
With Mark. “Maybe he wants to work things out. Maybe that’s what he meant by that text.”
Sierra shook her head. “Then he would have said that.”
“You don’t know that for sure.” Although she was probably right. Was it better to encourage her sister to delude herself or have her face the ugly probability right then? It was the emotional equivalent of slowly pulling off a bandage or yanking it off fast and being done with it.
“It’s over. I think I’ve known it for months. I just didn’t want to admit it.” Sierra wiped at a tear sneaking out the corner of her eye. “You know what really hurts is him waiting until I’m over here and supposed to be having fun to say this. No, I take it back. What hurts even more is how he pretended everything was okay before I left, like he felt so bad he couldn’t take time off. ‘Go, have fun with your sister,’ he said, making it sound like he was being such a good sport. I guess what he really meant was go.”
If Mark had been on the ship with them Sophie would have pushed him overboard. Of course, if he’d been on the boat it would have meant there was no problem. Her sister would have been happy.
“If it is over, then it’s all his fault and he’s a fool,” Sophie said vehemently.
Sierra gave her a watery-eyed smile. “You’re the best sister in the world.”
“No, that award would have to go to you. I wish I could make it all better.”
“I wish I could make it all better.” Sierra heaved a sigh. “I’ll get through this.”
“Yes, you will. Start by coming with me and seeing the castle.”
Sierra shook her head. “I’m just going to hang out on the ship. And eat. Maybe Trevor will leave me a supply of chocolate. Speaking of, he’s waiting.”
Sophie couldn’t go skipping off to have fun when her sister was so miserable. “I don’t want to go. I’ll stay with you.”
“You will not,” Sierra insisted. “I don’t want you underfoot being all irritating and chipper.”
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I want to be. Seriously. So pleeease, go away. Spend some time with a great guy with my blessing.”
“It feels all wrong to abandon you.” Even if Sierra did want to be alone, Sophie felt like a traitor. She was going to go have fun while her sister stayed behind with a broken heart.
“I need some time alone. Really. Get my money’s worth and go have fun.”
“Like I can do that when your life is falling apart.”
“There’s no point in both of us being miserable. And I’m serious. I’ve already embarrassed myself dumping on Catherine. And now you. I need some time alone to think and pull myself together. So go. I want you to.”
“Okay, I will, but only if you promise to go out with me on our next port of call.”
“I’ll think about it,” Sierra said, making no promises.
Think, shmink. Sophie was going to make sure her sister got out and forgot her troubles. Or at least shoved them to the back corner of her mind.
She finally gave up the battle when Sierra threatened to smack her if she didn’t get out of the room, but she wasn’t exactly skipping when she went down the hallway.
“Where’s your sister?” Trevor asked when she met him in the lobby.
“She’s not feeling good.”
“She’s sick?”
Only at heart. “She’ll feel better later,” Sophie said.
What a bunch of baloney. If that text from Mark meant what Sierra thought it meant, it was going to be a very long time before she felt better.
12
Athena continued to wrestle with the dilemma of whether or not to tell her father about Catherine. The longer Catherine delayed and the closer they became, the harder her news was going to be on Daddy.
But telling him wouldn’t be right. She needed to let Catherine share her situation in her own good time. Meanwhile, maybe a little distance between them wouldn’t hurt.