Before I can forget, I send Cecily the photo. She responds immediately.
I need more.
Send me everything you have, even when you don’t think it’s good. There might be a part of it that’s good when cropped.
I gave her a thumbs-up, then take off after Paisley.
CHAPTER 25
Paisley
Dread has an acidic flavor.
For the final five minutes of my bike ride with Klein it is all I can taste, overpowering the lingering sweetness of my breakfast. My stomach swirls, apprehension cloaks my thoughts. All the good feelings from being here with only Klein and my grandma are muted, colored over by the reality of why we’re here.
“Are you good?” Klein asks when we ride under the house and leave our bikes leaning on a wall.
I nod. I’m not good, but the only way out of all this is through the middle of it.
Pointing to the additional golf carts in the driveway, I say, “They’re here.”
My mom and Ben. My aunt and uncle. My little brother and younger cousins. Sienna and Shane.
Ugh. Shane.
I start for the house, but a grip on my arm pulls me back.
“Paisley,” Klein says, gently bringing me in closer. “Ourrelationship might be for show, but my friendship is genuine. You’re not alone this week.”
His declaration mollifies me, bringing comfort to my heart, easing my worry. I like the way his eyes search mine, how they drop lower and take in the rest of my face, lingering on my lips.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He releases me, and walks with me up the stairs. Stepping in front of me to get to the door first, he opens it at the same time his hand finds the small of my back.
And... curtain.
My sister is the first to spot us. She sits on a counter height stool, one knee tucked up into her chest, while the other leg keeps her steady on the chair rung. Her eyes light up when we walk into the room. She bounds from her seat, clapping her hands twice.
“Big sister is here!” Exuberance presses into the sides of her tone, filling out her words. She releases me from her hug and turns to Klein. “And her boyfriend, too. Thanks for making the long trip.”
“It was nothing,” Klein says. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Sienna presses her lips together. “About that. I’d like to apologize. I wasn’t myself that night.”
Klein waves away her apology. “I’ve seen plenty of drunk brides-to-be. You fell in the harmless category.”
“Right.” Sienna looks relieved. “Since I was harmless, there’s no need to mention it to Shane.”
My eyebrows cinch. Why does Sienna feel the need to keep something so innocent from her fiancé?
“No problem,” Klein assures her.
“Yes, problem,” I say with a low volume. The suspicionI’m feeling has my tone coming out more forceful than I mean it to be. “You didn’t do anything wrong that night. Why can’t Shane know? What is there to keep him from knowing? You were inebriated and ate fries at two a.m. Some people call that a normal Friday night.”
Sienna clears her throat and smoothes her hair. “That’s not how I typically conduct myself.”
“We are crystal clear on that,” I mutter, and then, because I dislike how stiff she’s acting, I add, “It was the penises, wasn’t it? Or is it peniwhen it’s plural?” I look to my fake boyfriend/real wordsmith for guidance.
