“Listen,” I tell my father over breakfast. “Would you agree that I’m making a sacrifice for this family?”
“Of course,” he says, pushing his cup of tea away. “What’s this about?”
“I’m going out to dinner with Cavin tonight, and I do not want Mam breathing down my neck.”
“So you want me to occupy your mother?” he says with a nod. “Fair enough. What time do you need?”
“I guess I need… I don’t know, an hour to get ready? He’s picking me up at six.”
“I’ll have her out of the house by half four,” he says with a nod.
I get up from the table, and he reaches for my hand. “You do what you have to, Erin. Make that man fall in love with you.”
He lets me go and leaves the table. I’m reeling, staring after him.
Make that man fall in love with you.
Since when wasthatthe goal? Isn’t it enough to marry him?
And how exactly does one do that? I don’t know how tomakehim fall in love with me.
Love me? Sure, no problem, Da. I’ll just figure out which parts of myself to bury so Cavin doesn’t rip the piss out of me like he did in school. Grand.
In the afternoon, I go to my room and set up my tablet with the YouTube tutorials Bridget showed me before she went back to the hospital. Then I get a brilliant idea.
I click video call, and she picks up on the first ring.
But Bridget looks pale. She has dark circles under her eyes. And is that a fleck of blood at the corner of her mouth? I gasp when I look at her.
Ineedto make it work tonight.
“Hey,” Bridget says with a watery smile. “What’s up? I know, I know, I look terrible. It was a rough night, but I’m feeling a little better.”
Bridget’s a terrible liar.
“Cavin’s taking me out to dinner,” I say with a grimace. “And I need to… Oh god, I don’t know. I need to be ready soon.”
“Where’s he taking you?”
“He just said”—my voice lowers to a deep pitch—‘I’ll pick you up at six. Wear something nice.’”
Bridget smiles, and I swear her eyes have hearts in them like a little emoji. “Hedid?”
“Yes,” I say, blowing out a breath. “I’m not that impressed, so relax. What should I wear?”
“It’s cute though.”
“It’s not cute, it’s bossy.”
Is there anything about the McCarthy family men that isn’t bossy?
I sigh.
“Okay, you definitely need to wear the ivory dress that dips all the way down in front. The backless one.”
“Bridget!” I scold her.
“I know,” she says with a grin. “But don’t you want this man to be attracted to you?”
