“What, do I have to carry you there?” Rick demanded, standing up.
“Hey, you can’t be mean to me today,” I sniffed dramatically, not fooling him.
“Fine,” he said, squeezing my hand. “But only because it’s like the time Jared left.”
Rick’s face was white when I peeked out from behind the shower curtain. He’d been silent for five minutes straight. I think he was taking the news harder than I had.
“You don’t even know who you are?” he said slowly as if he were focusing on putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle. He sat on the closed toilet lid, elbows on knees, staring into the browning grout of the tiles. I shook my head and closed the curtain again, not wanting to witness any sympathy his face was about to express.
“Have you told June?”
I shook my head again before remembering the curtain.
“No,” I squeaked.
Rick sucked air through his teeth. “I knew I was the favourite.”
“You forced it out of me. I’d have been happy to take this to my grave, or whatever it was that stupid Colin said. She’s not even my sister anymore.” The realisation hit me harder than the earlier punch in the tits. This one was deeper and made me appreciate even more that I hadn’t had a tipple with the rubbing-alcohol. It would be making last night’s sugar binge, which was threatening to erupt from my throat with my anxiety, a guarantee.
“Except you don’t mean that. I have questions, and it’s not even my life. Your mind must be like a circus right now.”
“It’s crickets in here,” I lied, holding my palms under the warm stream of water.
“Liar.”
Damn. “Stop acting like you know me so well.”
“I do know you so well,” Rick said, yanking open the shower curtain.
“Hey!”I cried, hands flying to my chest.
“I’ve seen those things a zillion times. They’re about as exciting as your armpit. For realsies though—you know the only thing you can do is go back and talk to your dad. He’s the only one who has answers. Who cares about the stupid house? You need to figure out who you are.”
“Did you just say‘realsies’? I don’t think we can be friends anymore,” I wrinkled my nose. “Also, how exciting is my armpit out of ten?”
Rick groaned. “Two. And that’s only because of the magic of it always being hairless. Now out. We have places to be.”
“Eyes on the road,” I hissed as Rick flicked through messages every few minutes. I will end up taking all this to my grave if you crash us.”
The corner of his mouth curved, and he slid the phone back between his thighs.
“I read somewhere that phone radiation affects sperm count when you keep it near the goodies.”
“That sounds like a load of crap,” he muttered, but moved the phone to the cup holder.
“What is it?” I asked, watching a tiny line form between his brows.
He shook his head. “Another time.”
“Don’t do that!” I groaned. “You know hearing other people’s problems makes me feel better about having my own problems.”
He shook his head again, mashing his lips together.
“Rick!”
“Oh my god has anyone ever told you that you’re really annoying?”
“Said the man who burst into my room unannounced and showed up uninvited?”
