I roll my eyes. “It’s not like that but yes.”
“Is now a bad time?”
“No, now’s fine. Sorry I haven’t really spoken to you recently.”
Even though we haven’t known each other long, I care deeply for my younger sister. She’s been through so much, and I really should have been making sure she’s okay.
“It’s okay, I can catch you up now!”Oh lord.“Okay, so what have you missed? Well, first—Carina and Nate finally set a wedding date! I mean, it took themlong enough, but it’s happening. Spring wedding, because apparently, Natedespisessummer—which, honestly, relatable. I too, hate sweating. Carina will probably message you about it, but I figured I’d be the first to tell you because, well,Iknow things.”
She takes a dramatic breath, but I don’t get a chance to speak before she’s off again.
“Oh! My therapist says I use humor as a defense mechanism. Which, like… rude? But also, she’s not wrong. I just don’t appreciate beingcalled outlike that, you know? What else, what else—oh, right! Did I tell you about the old lady down the street who thinks I’m in a cult? Because that’s awholething—”
I tune her out. I shouldn’t. But the girl cantalk.My mind is also stuck on the idea of therapy. Not for myself—for Izzy.
The woman in question stirs next to me, blinking up at me with bleary eyes. She smiles up at me sleepily and I swear I fall in love with her all over again. The way she looks right now, all puffy faced, pillow lines, hooded eyes—fuck, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
“Morning,”she mouths.
“Good morning,”I mouth back with the phone pressed to my ear as Tess chats away.
“Oh! I didn’t even tell you about the doctor who did my last baby scan.Traumatizing.Like, I mayneverrecover. First of all, his hands werefreezing, and second—tell me why this man had to presswaytoo close to my hip bone like he was trying to summon a demon? I swear, I nearly jumped off the table. And then—then—he had the audacity to say, ‘Relax.’Relax?Sir, you just introduced yourself five minutes ago, and now you’re all up in my personal space like we’re on a third date.”
“Speaking of the baby,Chiacchierone. Everything good with that?” I interject, because if I don’t, she willnevershut up.
Izzy looks at me, brow furrowed. I mouth, “My sister.”Unsurprisingly, that only deepens her frown—like she suddenly has even more questions.
“Did you just call me a chatterbox in Italian?” Tess gasps.
Shit.
“No?”
“You did! Carina’s been teaching me.”
Fuck.
“I will be holding a grudge but, yes! Everything is good. Although, don’t think you’re off the hook for telling Max before I could! He cried on the phone to me this morning. It wasweird.”
My papa. Crying. The thought alone is almost offensive. I can’t even picture it.
“Tess, I gotta go, but can you send me your therapist’s details?”
“Sure! She’s the one Carina used—apparently, you met her once. Why do—”
“If it’s Emily Morgan, then yes I did.”
“That’s her! So why—”
“Bye.”
I end the call, tossing my phone onto the bed and reaching out to pull Izzy closer, burying my face in her hair so I can inhale her honeysuckle scent.
We used to sneak into each other's room to cuddle. It takes me a moment to realize that my actions are a little too friendly now we’re adults.
She giggles, and the sound goes straight to my heart. And my cock.Fuck.
“You have a sister?” she asks, peering up at me with big blue eyes. Her blonde hair is fanned out next to her head, in sharp contrast to my dark grey sheets.
