Cherie gaped at her. “You aren’t joking? They seriously said that?”
“Indeed. They lackanysense of humor, Cher.” Kaelee turned to the undergraduate now waiting to take their order. She hadn’t beenany older than this guy when she was on her own, counting the days to access her trust, and trying to figure out how to adult with no training or realistic preparation. Her mother’s lessons on adulthood were more about charm, etiquette, and style.
Kaelee’s questions on practical matters when she started thinking about running had led nowhere.
Because girls don’t need to understand money, Brina. Your husband will manage that.
Insurance? I don’t know. Your father manages that.
Oil change? I think your father’s assistant has a nice young man pick up the car for things like that.
Kaelee ordered both drinks, paid, and looked at Cherie.
“Best sister I could want, Cupcake,” Cherie murmured. “Honestly. If we need new families, why not just… pick them?”
“But you already get on well with yours,” Kaelee pointed out.
“Exactly. So I’m an expert on this. I think you should be my honorary sibling. I bet my mom would totally adopt you, too.” Cherie flashed a wide smile at the barista and took her far too sugary drink.
“I swear you’re half hummingbird. Why not just drink sugar water?”
“I like caffeine in my sugar water, too.” Cherie grinned and led them to a table in the corner. She never remarked on Kaelee’s need to see the door and windows or explained her own. They both had their own reasons for a little hypervigilance.
The first few days after Philly, Kaelee was even more on high alert. No more half-unlocked doors, no envelopes or anything else, but every car that slowed when she was walking made Kaelee flinch. Every time someone got too close to her, she tensed.
And each time there was a phone notification, she hoped it was Greta. Seeing her had done the opposite of getting her out of Kaelee’s mind. The urge to be with her was more intense.
“Soooo… where did you go for the weekend?” Cherie slurped her sugar-and-coffee concoction.
“Saw Marie,” Kaelee confessed.
“For a date or…?”
“The whole time. I panicked when I got that envelope. Called. Told her. She met me.” Kaelee tried to downplay it, but from the wide-eyed look Cherie had, Kaelee was completely unsuccessful.
“So you went to the sexy woman from New York to lick yourwoundsby licking her…?” Cherie cackled, making a half shriek in the process.
“Cher.”
“Did you kiss everything and that made it better? Or did she?”
“Seriously? How old are you?” Kaelee cracked a smile, though, ruining her attempt at chastising Cherie.
They sat in comfortable silence for several moments. Then Kaelee blurted out, “I think I might be able to let her, though. I trust her. I don’t usually have that kind of ease, you know, being alickee. I mean, I take care of my needs, and that’s enough.”
Cherie gave her an assessing look. “Is it, though?”
“It can be. Honestly. I know that might not make sense, but for me, it often is. I just… I think I want more with her. I feel safe enough with her to… try intimate things I don’t usually do.” Kaelee sipped her too-hot-still coffee. “Ilikeher, Cher. I like her too much.”
Slowly, as she always did when reaching out to Kaelee, Cherie put a hand on Kaelee’s wrist. “She’s a lucky woman, then, but you need to know that if she hurts you, I will gut her with a fish knife.”
Kaelee blinked at her before erupting in laughter. “If you could handle even gutting a fish, I might find that more convincing. Do you remember that restaurant with the fish that still had a head? I thought you were going to puke every time you mentioned it.”
“Fine.” Cherie shook a finger at her. “If she hurts you, I’ll embarrass her, yell at her, whatever it takes. I want you to be happy, Cupcake. You deserve it.”
Kaelee shook her head. “I think I could be happy with her. It’s complicated, but I never even thought abouttryingdating until her. I’ll suck at it, probably, but she makes me think about things… stupid things, relationshippy things, when really I ought to bethinking about my career and what I’m going to do if my parents try to ruin it.”
“Who says you can’t have it all?” Cherie caught and held her gaze. “I’m going to find love and great sex even if I have to date everyone on all the apps. I’ll find my person. Ibelieveit, and I can believe it for you, too, if you want.” She paused and gave Kaelee a silly look. “All you have to do to enlist my optimism on your behalf is let me call you Cupcake or Sissy. Deal?”
