She gave a huge shrug. “You guess you don’t really know? That’s your response to falling head over heels in love with another person?”

“I sleep with people I already know I won’t fall in love with,” I said airily. “It’s pure lust and sex appeal. It lessens the risk that I’ll do something stupid like open my heart and—” I stopped.

“Open your heart and what?” She touched my wrist. “Maybe get hurt?”

I waved off the concern in her eyes. “I was going to say complicate my personal life and career all at the same time.” I wasn’t going to say that, but I charged ahead anyway. “Right now, all I want is to hop on airplanes with my camera and go where the stories are. I don’t have a grander vision than that, but I’m really, really happy with this tumbleweed life. On the road, on the move. No roots just yet.”

Alexis sank back in her chair and scrutinized me closely. She was swaying, just a little bit.

“You okay there?” I teased.

“Totally,” she said, drawing out every syllable. Then she cocked her head with a giant big-sister smirk. “I’m sitting here, thinking it’s real clever that Tabitha Tyler believes she can control once-in-a-lifetime, stars-in-your-eyes, soul-mate love.”

I mimicked her expression, trying not to laugh. “Oh yeah? Watch me.”

She started to giggle but then reached for my hand again. “I’m sorry, I’m being a brat. I want you to know that you can talk to me about messy love stuff. Or heart stuff. Or getting hurt stuff. Not ’cause I’m desperate to shove you into a relationship. But those feelings…” She swallowed hard, and my own throat started to tighten. “I understand why you might have them. I have them too.”

This was the closest I’d ever come to blurting out all the things I never shared. The secrets, the shame, the locked-away memories that lurked like that storm cloud on sunny days.

“I want you to feel safe and comfortable and happy. Not just for dating but for your own heart, which is the most important. Although if you ever get married, I’m prepared to be the best maid of honor the world has ever known.”

I covered her hand with mine. “Thank you for saying that. I’m deliriously happy with my life right now. With my career and traveling and having flings with sexy people. But five years from now? I hope I’m married and having a ton of kiddos.”

Alexis brightened. “Cousins for Juliet?”

“Tons. Hundreds, even.”

She leaned across the table and gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “That sounds pretty awesome to me.”