"Itthinks that I should've asked you to explain."
I stifled a giggle. "Oh, does it?"
"Yup. Apparently, it thinks I'm an idiot." But then, the humor faded from his voice as he asked, "So, do you wanna tell me?"
78
Crazy Together
Ryder
She was silent for a long moment before saying, "I do…want to tell you, I mean." A note of worry crept into her voice. "But what if you think I'm crazy?"
The answer to that was easy. "Then we'll be crazy together."
With a stifled laugh, she said, "I'm serious."
"Me, too." I smiled into the phone. "Hey,I'mthe one with the talking fridge." But then, I wiped the smile from my face to ask, "You said it's about your sister?"
"Yeah, but notonlyher. Do you remember what I told you about my mom…about how she played favorites?"
"I remember."
"Well…a few weeks ago, she did something that I justknowwill send Delaney over the edge."
Concern flared in my chest. "How far over the edge?"
"I don't mean she'll do something dangerous. I'm just worried she'll never forgive me."
"Because of somethingyoudid?"
"Not directly. But it's still pretty awful." She gave a nervous laugh. "Andreallyembarrassing."
"So you'd rather not say?"
"Not particularly," she admitted. "But you deserve to know."
"Because…?"
"Because I realize what I'm asking sounds completely unreasonable. I mean, thereyouare – the kind of guy any girl would love to show off, and hereIam, trying to hide us under a bushel."
It was a lot to unpack, and I recalled something she'd said the other day. "Because your sister will be jealous."
"See, that's the thing. If it were just a matter of jealousy, I'd deal with it. I mean, I'm not going to live my whole life hiding under a rock just to make someone else happy, even if sheismy sister."
I sure as hell hoped not, because that was no way to live. "Good to know."
"But a few weeks ago, I learned something that I really need to handle before Delaney hears about us."
"What kind of something?"
"Long story short? My mom drained my sister's bank account to pay some of my bills."
I blinked. "You're shitting me."
"I wish," Tessa said. "And if you were just a regular guy, it wouldn't matter if Delaney knew we were dating. But you're not, so I know exactly what she'd think."
I had a pretty good idea myself. But I was curious how Tessa saw it. "And what's that?"
