I don’t know what to say. Does Aulie know Gus is going around kissing her best friend? Shouldn’t that be off-limits? Or maybe girl code is different? But that doesn’t seem right—twenty-first century and all that.
“I just saw something that caught me off-guard, sorry.” I blush, keeping the pressure on her finger.
Aulie glances out the window. “Ah. Yeah, that’s new-ish.” She smiles. “But they’re cute together. Huh?”
“Isn’t that…weird…for you? Your brother and your best friend, I mean.”
She shrugs. “It was at first. But I love them both so much that it’s a bonus that they love each other too. You know?”
I nod. I’d never thought about it like that. Would Gus feel the same way? Probably not. He’s protective, and I’m a no-good ass, so there’s that. Not that it matters what either Gus or I think. Aulie’s showed no interest in me. After suffering through the last few days without communication, there’s no way I’d risk ruining our friendship and losing her for good.
She deserves better than someone who can’t handle their emotions and hides behind a bad boy image.
“Where are your band-aids?” I ask, shaking myself back to reality. I shouldn’t be entertaining any of this, anyway.
“They’re in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, but I can get them—”
“Let me take care ofyoufor once, Dessy,” I say as softly as possible, but inside I want to yell,Woman, chill the fuck out before you bleed to death.Bit dramatic? Sure, but I can’t handle the sight of her blood without panicking.
“Oh. Uhm. Okay.” She barely meets my eyes as she smiles.
Grabbing some Neosporin and the band-aids, I return to Aulie hanging near the couch in the great room and gently unwrap the towel. Thankfully, the bleeding’s slowed.
Cleaned and washed, I put another band-aid on top of the smaller one, just in case, and smile sheepishly at her. “Good to go.”
Aulie bats her eyelashes. “My hero,” she says in a faux Southern accent.
I snort, mind flailing, because that woman’s long, dark eyelashes do terrible things to me, and I ruffle her hair.
With a blush, her gaze flickers to mine, and then she brushes past me. “I should get that meat pie out before it gets too dry.”
“Good call.” I cough.
Note to self: never ruffle that woman’s hair again.
ChapterNine
Jack Parker
Play:Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore by REO Speedwagon
Imight be ninety percent meat pie now, but I can’t stop eating it.
The nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon meld with the melted slice of American Cheese perfectly, and every “last” bite becomes a “well, maybe I’ll have just one more.”
It doesn’t help that I’m incredibly anxious, which is a foreign feeling in this house. Ever since I was little, this place has been my comfort place. Aulie’s Memere and aunts and uncles were always around, talking over each other with their Franglish. And I could sit in a corner, eating Aulie’s Doritos or whatever was on the menu for the day, and people watch in the shadows.
Unlike my house, where my older sisters treated me like a dress-up doll, and I was the center of my mother’s attention well into my teen years.
But today, my knee is shaking under the table, and there’s a decided itch under my skin.
Gus is datingEmy.The girl we used to catch peeking behind trees, watching us when we’d go swimming in King’s Pond.
And the world hasn’t exploded.
Her friendship with Aulie seems fine.
Aulie and Gus are fine.
