Allie didn't enjoy making her brother feel bad. If she were honest with herself, she never wanted to make him feel bad, even when he was hurting her. His prison sentence ensured that her survival — hell, her sanity — rested on him being alive. Twin bonds, she'd always believed, were the strongest of sibling bonds. Breaking that bond would leave her without her other half, so as much as she hated tearing Ollie down for what had apparently been a fun time, Allie felt justified in her anger.
Steeling herself against her brother's show of pain, she continued to glare at him while ignoring the waking-up sounds of the other people in the room. The middle-aged woman who made no secret of her contempt for Allie and her dramatic displays, prompting rolled over, grumbling none too quietly about inconsiderate bitches. Comments like that helped Allie maintain her fury.
A good thing, too, because when Ollie reminded her how much of his time was devoted only to her, Allie felt tendrils of guilt start to spread through her temper, taking root and making her feel like the most selfish person alive. Her hands dropped from her hips, and she couldn't even make herself look at him. Try as she might, Allie couldn't blame her brother for wanting to make friends. It was a lonely world now. Every personal connection made with someone else was invaluable.
With very little resistance, she let her twin pull her into an embrace, her arms going around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and clung to him. From this angle, Ollie couldn't easily see that the worry lines had reappeared. For so long it had been the two of them against the world. Things hadn't been as dangerous as they were before the city became overrun with flesh-hungry zombies.
Telling him that he wasn't allowed to have any friends other than her would've painted her as the petulant child who didn't want to share her beloved pet with anyone else. The amusing analogy brought out the softest of snorts that could easily be interpreted as a sigh.
"And did you?" Allie pulled her head away from Ollie's shoulder to peer up at him. "Did you make a friend? That Lady Ricardo, or whatever its name is?"
"I am still mad," she admitted, easing out of the hug. "And you'd totally deserve it if I decided to give you the silent treatment for a few days, but..." She raised her hand, this time resting it more gently on her brother's uninjured cheek. "I'm so relieved that you made it back."