Tyson nods, studying my face.
“Do you think I am?” I ask him.
He sighs. “I don’t know, but you definitely have a troubled relationship with alcohol. And I think it’s all a very slippery slope.”
Hannah nods, then says, “There are definitely some red flags. Once you start drinking, it seems hard for you to stop. And too often, you can’t remember things.”
“You should never be blacking out,” Tyson says. “It’s so dangerous.”
“I know,” I say, then confess that I sometimes use alcohol to numb myself.
Tyson bites his lip, staring at me intently. “Look. Maybe you just need to talk to a good therapist. Maybe if you sort out some of the underlying issues—the stuff you’ve been through with your father and losing your mother—you won’t feel the need to drink when you’re upset. There are so many better ways to cope.”
I nod, then say, “I’m so sorry for putting you guys through all of this.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Hannah says. “I wasn’t a good friend to you—”
“Yes, you were,” Lainey says. “You always are.”
Hannah shakes her head. “No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t forthright with you. But there are a few things I need to explain.”
I stare at her, ready to listen.
“For one, Olivia was already in Italy when we got here. She’s here for tennis. Training with a new coach. It was a complete coincidence,” she says.
“Oh,” I say, thinking that softens the blow of her deceit a bit.
“Also,” she says, clearing her throat, “Tyson didn’t know Olivia was coming to Capri. I wasn’t forthright with either of you.”
I look at Tyson. “You really didn’t know she was with Hannah?”
He shakes his head and says, “I tried to tell you that—”
“Wow,” I say, filled with mixed emotions. As much as I regret not giving him the benefit of the doubt, I’m also relieved that he didn’t lie to me.
“There’s one more thing. Something I haven’t told either of you.” Hannah takes a deep breath, wringing her hands. “So…I don’t know how it happened…or what it is, exactly…. But somehow…Olivia and I seem to have…a connection—” She stops suddenly, looking more nervous than I’ve ever seen her.
“Um. Yeah. About that,” Tyson says. “I think I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. In the bar.”
I look at Tyson, then Hannah, completely lost. Then I remember how Hannah and Olivia were sitting together when we found them. They were so close.
“Holy shit. Are you and my sister…?” My voice trails off, thinking there’s no way. Hannah is as straight as they come.
She gives me a sheepish, starry-eyed smile. “I don’t know,” she says, her cheeks turning pink. “Maybe? I really like her.”
“Well, damn,” I say, blinking. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“I know. Believe me, I didn’t, either. And I know you didn’t want me talking to her, but we just clicked…. Then she asked to come see me here in Capri. And I said yes. I was afraid to tell you.” The words come rushing out of her.
I stare back at her, speechless, as she continues. “I’m telling you because I want you to know why I didn’t leave well enough alone when you asked me to. It’s not an excuse—just an explanation. I made the wrong decision—and I take full responsibility for what happened.” She sighs.
“I wish you hadn’t lied to me. But it’s not your fault that I almost killed myself. I can’t put that on you—and you can’t put that on yourself.”
Hannah takes a deep breath, as if to brace herself. “Your sister is wonderful, Lainey,” she says. “If you ever decide you want to know her, I am positive you will love her. But that’s your call entirely.”
“I trust you,” I say, then look at Tyson. “I trust both of you.”
“Good. Because we will always have your back,” he says. “Even if we make some mistakes along the way.”
I nod. I know I have a lot to work through, but I also know that anything is possible with these two at my side. They’re all I need to get by. “I have both of your backs, too,” I say, tearing up.
“We know you do,” Hannah says. “You’ve helped me more than you could ever know. This trip has meant everything to me.”
“Me too.” Tyson nods.
My heart skips a beat as I think of the intimate moments we shared. I wonder if we will ever have more of them.
“God, Lainey.” He swallows, a visible lump in his throat. “We almost lost you.”
“But you didn’t. I’m here.” I force a smile. “A bit broken and battered, but I’m still here.”
“We’ve all been through a lot. We’re all a bit broken and battered,” Hannah says. “But the important thing is that we kept our promise—”
Tyson nods. “Yes, we did.”
“Summer would be so proud of us,” Hannah says, staring up at the velvety sky.
“Yes, she would. All three of us,” Tyson says.
