Then I get my sisters on a single phone call.
“When? Seriously, when were you going to tell us? I had to hear it from Johanna Ortiz, and act like I knew what she was talking about.” Sage sounds equal parts ecstatic and annoyed.
I groan. “We didn’t make any decisions until—” I check the clock. “Forty-five minutes ago. I swear. Nora Jacoby happened to see us.”
“See you do what?” Sky asks. “Were you two going at it?”
I can’t believe that question makes my cheeks heat. Thank the old gods my sisters can’t see me right now. “If by going at it, you mean that Carter put a ring on my finger, then yes.”
Sage huffs. “I can’t believe he didn’t come to me for your ring. I could’ve had it made over the weekend.”
“He wanted it to be a surprise.”
“I wouldn’t have told!”
Sky adds, “I knew he was in love with you, but I didn’t know you loved him back.”
“Nadia knew, apparently,” Sage says dryly.
“Hold on, hold on,” I yelp. All this talk about love is bananas. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves here.”
“Yougot engaged to Carter without anyone knowing you were even together, andwe’regetting ahead of ourselves?” Sage demands.
“Yes. God.” I swallow. “He wanted it to be a surprise or whatever, because—” I hesitate. The sham of our marriage has to be a secret, otherwise I’m sure his crochety old grandmother won’t give him his money. But I can’t lie to my sisters. “It’s not a real marriage. We’re doing it so he can get an inheritance.”
Each of them has about two hundred more questions, one right after the other, and I want to scream by the time I’m done answering them all.
“Doesn’t his grandma Erika hate you, though?” That one’s from Sage.
“She sure does. Or did. Maybe she doesn’t anymore.”
“No offense, but when’s the last time you ever heard of an old Latina abuela letting go of a grudge?”
I know two old Latina mother figures very well, Nadia and Sonya, and they can’t let go of things like a stranger taking the last mango at the store, much less the crap they’ve done to each other over the years.
“Fine. I’m sure she still hates me. It doesn’t matter, though.” At least, I hope it doesn’t matter.
“So you’re moving out?” Sky’s voice sounds small. My heart lurches a little. She’s only been back for a little while, and then Sky moved in with Tennessee, and now me.
“Temporarily. Yes. But I can come back anytime. I’ll spend weekends or even whole weeks at Nadia’s. Whenever possible. Or maybe I can get Carter to move in with us.”
Sky snorts. “I wouldn’t. His house is gorgeous. And right on the water, too?”
I frown, even though neither of them can see me. “Carter doesn’t have a house. Carter’s never had a house.”
Now Sky’s laughing hard. “Wow. You guys really need to catch up if you’re going to fool Abuela Erika into thinking you fell in love.”
“Whatever.” This day has been too emotional, and the fact that I didn’t know something as basic as the fact that Carter apparently has a house now makes me feel queasy. “I gotta go.”
After saying all the goodbyes, I check my messages one last time. And my stomach flips even more.
Nadia:I’ve known you’d marry him since you were eleven years old.
The way she puts it, like…like it’s alove match. She and HeroLemon701 need to get together and talk about IRL romance tropes, apparently. I make a face of disgust.
It’s just convenience, I type back.That’s all.
Even without seeing her, I can feel that she is making her very annoyingI Know Things You Don’tFace, so I turn my phone off before she, or anyone else, can piss me off further.
