The Lingering Grace by Jessica Arnold

her? Was he worried she would be afraid to come over? It wasn’t like she had much for his brother to steal anyway. Except for homework—she had plenty of that, and he was welcome to it.
    And the book, she remembered. A shiver sped down her neck at the thought of losing it, and she was glad she hadn’t brought it with her to school that day.
    She touched Tony’s arm in what she hoped was a reassuring fashion. Although she was dying to ask why he hadn’t told her any of this before, she restrained herself. Still, the fact that he hadn’t trusted her enough to even mention Danny’s prison sentence got under her skin. It was a little thing, but maybe it was a symptom of something bigger. Back in the car this morning, she’d known he was hiding something. Was it just this? Or was there more? What other secrets had Tony been keeping?
    Tony shook his head and, to her surprise, actually laughed. “You must think I’m totally overreacting.”
    “Of course not!” she assured him, grabbing his hand. “I’m sure it’s really rough having a brother like that.”
    “It’s not the first time he’s been in prison either,” Tony said. She kept a grip on his hand and scooted toward him so their legs were touching, thigh to thigh. He kept talking, more quickly now, and seemed more like himself. “You know, he had such a reputation that by the time I got to high school, people didn’t know what to make of me. The tough crowd hated me once they realized I wasn’t anything like him, and the nice kids never believed I was actually different. So making friends—it wasn’t easy. I guess I hated him for that.”
    “Who wouldn’t?”
    “And for what it did to Mom,” he continued. “You saw her. Just having him around makes her like that. She hardly sleeps. She’s afraid he’ll never have a normal life, and you know what? I’m not sure he deserves one. Sure, he can say he’s turned around all he wants, but he’s said it before. It’s the same every time.”
    “What was it? What did he do?”
    Tony shrugged and looked uncomfortable again. “That’s the thing—it hardly matters what he did before because every time it’s different. It’s like he’s going down the list. And what if he kills someone one day? I wish I could say I know he never would, but I don’t know that. I just don’t. How can I let you hang around someone like that?”
    So at least it wasn’t murder. She squeezed Tony’s hand and tried to look into his downcast eyes. “Tony, you’ve already proven that you’re not going to let anything happen to me. I trust you.”
    His grip on her hand tightened and he nodded, taking a deep breath. When he met her eyes a second later, his gaze was steady. “Alice, I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not my brother. Not anyone.”
    “I know.”
    And just like that, she forgave him. The anger flushed out of her heart. The doubts vanished. In that moment, everything was fine. Tony’s eyes were locked on hers. She didn’t see lies in them—just blue.
    He kissed her—a long kiss, longer than usual. Alice felt the usual flush of warmth, but something new and stronger too: belonging. She belonged in this park. Her hand belonged in his hand, her lips belonged with his. Her mind stretched. Her imagined future expanded without warning, and where there had once only been room for her, there was now a space for him as well. She realized that something fundamental had changed, that she could close the door, but that space in her mind would always be there, with or without him.
    And she couldn’t—she wouldn’t—let it go empty. She would do anything to make sure she was never alone there again. Maybe he would lie to her again. She would probably lie to him too. But the thought of anything coming between them was so inconceivable that the deception didn’t worry her—at least not in that perfect, sunny moment.
    “I promise too,” she said when he pulled away.
    “Promise what?” he