Will SWAT raid my home soon? Should I leave the place unlocked?
Doing so might save me a few dollars in hinge repairs once this is all done.
Gulping the gelatinous, icky lump ofewbefore it solidifies in my throat and chokes me to death, I skip down my porch stairs and head right.
I don’t even bother walking to the road before heading Mel’s way, I simply cut through my yard, then the neighbors’ yards.
I stride among mangers and wise men. Strung lights, and baby dolls. I ignore the horrors of Christmas decorations in the day—way worse when inflatables lie lifeless on the lawn—and jogging across the icy, crunchy path, I dash onto Mel’s front porch and slam the side of my fist to her door.
I bang once. Twice. I try for a third, but the door swings wide and Mel’s baby blue eyes, round like saucers, latch onto mine.
“Finally!” She grabs my jacket and yanks me inside, locking up behind us and immediately going to work taking my scarf off. “What the eff, Anna!” She pushes me against the wall.Very bridezilla of her. “What the eff!?”
“Okay…” I choke out a nervous, rasping laugh. “So, remember how you said you could tell something was up, but I was being vague and non-informative about it all?”
“You have a man in your home whoclaimsto be your brother but isn’t?” She grabs my arm and tows me along the hall, through the living room and into the kitchen. Ignoring Nick, who waits by the back door, equal parts amused and wary, Mel releases me and stomps around her peninsula counter. “Okay.” She nods. Shakes her head. Nods again. She looks a bit like a pro wrestler readying for a bout, hyping herself up and feeding off the crowd’s energy. Finally, she stops, gulps, and nods again. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Cautiously, I drag out a stool and perch on the edge. “You sure?”
“Yeah. Go. Who the hell is Dean, because he sure as shit isn’t your brother.”
“Well—”
“And since we’re on the topic, he doesn’t look at you like you’re his sister! He eats you up with his eyes, Annaliese, and does the smirky smirk like he knows he’s cute and goofy.”
“You think he’s cute and goofy?”
“No!Hethinks he’s cute and goofy.” She plops her elbows onto the counter and stares hard. “He’s about our age, and your mom and daddy werethemost loved-up couple I ever met in my whole life. For him to be your brother means one of your parents was diddling on the side.”
“Diddling?”
“Stop repeating my words back at me! He’s not your brother, so who the hell is he and why is he all busted up like he is?”
“I hit him with my car.”
Nick barks out a spit-flying, chest-heaving, ear-splitting laugh and claps his hand over his mouth. His eyes water and his shoulders shake. “I’m sorry,” he giggles.He giggles! “Go on. Pretend I’m not here.”
“You… what?” Mel roars. “Like… on purpose?”
“No, not on purpose!”
“And then you brought him home?! Are you insane?”
“It happened right after I finished talking to you last night. My phone battery was dying, so I was looking for my charger cable. I took my eyes off the road for like,twoseconds, but when I looked up again?—”
“BAM!” Nick howls. “Mowed that motherfucker down.”
“Do. You. Mind?” I scald the man with my fiery glare. “I’m trying to have a private conversation with my best friend, Mr. Ramos.”
“Go ahead.” Heaving, he swipes his eyes. “Continue. I’m not here.”
“Anna!” Mel lunges across the counter and grips my jaw, yanking my face back around. “You hit that poor man? And… what? Decided to bring him home like he was a stray puppy? That’s not how society works!”
“I panicked,” I groan. “I swear, I thought I killed him, Mel! I didn’tjusthit him. I drovethroughhim. Flipped him straight over the top of my car and everything.”
Nick loses it, sobbing and giggling, bracing a hand on the wall and pinching his nostrils and lips closed with the other. “I’m sorry.” He’s red in the face, bouncing all over. “I’m just…” Herolls his wrist. “I can see it. Just flying…” He wheezes. “I can’t wait to tell Elena about this.”
“You can’t tell Elena! You can’t tell anybody.” I swing my gaze back to Mel. “You shut him down, Melanie! I’m already in so much freakin’ trouble. More witnesses means more time behind bars.”
