She gave me a little eye roll when I squinted back at her.
“This isn’t like a hard-hitting journalism piece meant to expose all your secrets.”
Her smile turned playful, and I had to remind myself this was as close as I could get, and tasting her mouth one more time wasn’t an option.
“It’s my job to make you and the team look good and to show you in the best light possible.” She leaned in closer. “And I would never use anything you told me before. That is all off the record and doesn’t count unless you want it to,” she whispered.
“I know you wouldn’t, but I appreciate that,” I whispered back.
I might not have known much about her in her real, daily life, but we’d connected enough for me to sense the kind of person she was.
The kind that I couldn’t get out of my head, the kind that drew me in from the minute our eyes locked and made me regret watching her drive away because I was too scared to figure out a way to make room for anyone in my life but me.
Meeting her would be a tease, but I couldn’t resist. Rachel would be an itch I could never truly scratch, because if I got too close to her, I’d only want more—and there was nomorefor me to give.
CHAPTER TEN
RACHEL
“I don’t know.Maybe I should stay home. Just in case.”
I bit back a laugh at my sister’s scrunched-up face, her ponytail falling over her shoulder as her head drooped. I shook my head but tried to keep in mind her act wasn’t all fake.
She’d just gotten her period for the first time last month. Even though I’d made sure to prepare her as much as I could, she was scared from both the novelty of it all and the pain shooting across her abdomen. I’d let her stay home the first couple of days and huddled on the couch with her as I worked and she watched movies on her laptop.
Once I’d realized that her complaints were nothing severe enough to keep her home, I’d sent her to school with a discreet purse of feminine products and a note for the nurse to let her take ibuprofen if she became uncomfortable. She was still just as nervous with her second period, but I couldn’t have her stay home every single month, even though the guilt in my gut kept nudging me to let her.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been such a pushover, but I remembered how scary it had been for me. My grandmother had still called pads “napkins,” but she’d sent me to school with a reassuring nudge that I would be fine. I’d spent the day anervous wreck that my cramps would kill me or I’d get blood on my skirt for everyone to see.
My mother, as usual, had nothing to offer when she’d stopped by soon after that other than a “good for you” when I’d told her.
My life was dedicated to reassuring my sister in ways I’d never been, but letting her stay home every month if she didn’t have severe symptoms wasn’t the right thing either. There was being loving and supportive, and there was being too much of a soft touch. As our aunt Lucy had told me, Taylor would appreciate it later if I didn’t try to coddle her too much.
And I was all about giving Taylor things to appreciate, although I hadn’t spoken to her about reducing her activities outside school yet. I was still working out the math of expenses and time and trying to find a way to make it all work, even though I always came up with the same answer.
It wouldn’t. But I would tackle that tomorrow.
My mind was preoccupied with other ways I’d drive myself crazy today.
It wasn’t unheard of to meet a client for an interview at a different location. Usually, it was at their office, but I went anywhere they’d be comfortable. I’d told Gayle my plan for today, and she was all for it if having the interview closer to home allowed me to get started on it that much quicker.
She hadn’t thought anything of it, just told me to let her know how it went as soon as I got home and what material I’d suggest highlighting.
I had to call Auden right after as well and let her know how my lunch date had gone for different reasons.
This was supposed to be an interview, but it wasn’t just an interview or just a lunch date. Not that I would address that in any way this afternoon.
It was odd to both anticipate and dread something so much.
“Kiddo,” I said, taking my sister’s face in my hands. “You were happily playing video games all through breakfast not twenty minutes ago.”
“It comes and goes,” she murmured, rubbing the lower part of her stomach.
“I get that, and I’ve been there. But unless your symptoms are really bad, I can’t keep you home every month. The truant officers would come for me.”
Her head jerked up, her eyes wide with real fear.
“Oh no. You’re right. I’m okay. I don’t want that.”
