I had to swallow the lump in my throat. “It won’t be. You can always come visit me.” The minute I said it, uncertainty filled me. Could she? How would I explain her to people? To Kiera? How would I ever be able to talk about her?

Hailey nodded. “I’d love that.”

With a wave, she left the room. As she disappeared, I felt something breaking inside me. Because I didn’t know how to have a relationship with her, and I wanted one. But I could never mention her. To anyone. And I was dying to. I was dying to tell somebody that I’d just met my sister. And she was cool. And she wanted to get to know me. And I wanted to get to know her too.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell anyone because no one knew the real story, the sordid love triangle between John, Susan, and Gavin. I didn’t want to get into that, didn’t want to talk about my parents, didn’t want to talk about Gavin—especially that. Hailey was a separate entity to me, removed from the situation, and I wished I could present her that way. Just a girl I’d met that I really liked…but that sounded bad too. I was stuck in silence, and it killed me.

Kiera was the only one I could possibly talk to about it…but even still, when we were back in the bus, and I knew she was home, waiting for me to call her, I agonized over what to say. If I told Kiera I’d met my sister, I’d unwittingly tell her about Gavin too, about him wanting to meet me. And I knew—without a doubt in my mind—just what Kiera would say. Oh my God, that’s great, Kellan. Go meet up with him, go bond with him, go love him. And that was the exact opposite of what I wanted. He didn’t exist to me, and I liked it that way.

So, in the end, I didn’t tell Kiera anything about meeting Hailey. I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t even form. It was one of the most monumental moments in my life…and I glossed over it. And I felt really shitty when I hung up with her. I should tell her. But how?

I half expected Hailey to show up to the concert the next night, and I found myself constantly scanning the backstage area for her. A little nervously because I half expected her to bring Gavin here anyway. I had no idea what I would do if she did that—if she just showed up with him. No, I knew exactly what I would do…I’d tell security to escort him out of the building, and then I’d delete Hailey’s number from my phone.