“I think that went pretty well.” My words are a whisper and I hope she’s the only one who can hear me.
“If that’s what you call it.” She snuggles into my side. Part of me wonders if this is part of the act, or if it’s real. It can’t be. She’s already said multiple times she’s not looking for a boyfriend. Except…thisfeelsright.
“I didn’t think we’d get a room to ourselves.” I set my bag next to the dresser in the small space.
“Well, I usually share with Piper.” Paula digs through her bag. “Since you’re here, she’s taking one of the bunks.”
“Now I feel terrible. I’ll sleep out there with your brothers. How is that fair to your sister?”
She shrugs and pulls out a top and some shorts. “Both of us agreed it’s probably safer if you didn’t.”
A pit of dread fills my stomach. “Why? Are they going to feed me to the fishes?”
A bubble of laughter bursts from her lips. It’s becoming one of my favorite sounds. As annoyed as she can get, and seem uptight at times, she is not afraid to live in the moment. Not giving a single damn about who can hear her joy.
“If they got the chance…maybe.” My eyes widen at the seriousness in her voice. “I’m just kidding. But they do like to play pranks on people. Especially those they think they can push around.”
“Parker seemed to like me just fine.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s the biggest prankster of them all. You’d think it wouldn’t be so bad because he’s one of the youngest, but he was a terror growing up. And that’s coming from someone considerably older than him.”
That doesn’t fill me with confidence. Was his solidarity all for show? Maybe he’s biding his time to pounce.
“You’re making me happy I didn’t ‘grow up’ with my brother. I can’t imagine stuff happening to me all the time.”
“It wasn’t all the time.” She rolls her eyes. “At least, not with me. He tended to pick on the rest of the boys more than me and Piper.”
“Why?”
“Because we would snitch. Or I’d hit him. It was a toss-up on what the outcome would be.”
“Remind me not to piss you off.”
“For your information, I’m only like that with my siblings. It’s totally normal.”
“If you say so.”
She moves to the door and cracks it open before peering down the hallway. “Ugh, I swear my sister takes a million years in the bathroom.”
“You can always go to your parents room, if you have to use the restroom that bad.”
“I just need to change.” She closes the door and leans against it. “Can you turn around?” She twirls her finger in a circle to mimic the action.
“Sure.” I do as she asks. There’s nothing more appealing than staring at an off-white wall. “What are we going to do the rest of the time we’re here? I mean it’s not like any of the attractions are open in the dead of Winter.”
“I’m sure my mom has a whole itinerary for us.” She says as I hear a garment hit the floor.
“Oh.” So they are that kind of family. The one who does everything together and know pretty much everything about each other. There probably aren’t many secrets.
“Don’t worry.” She grunts. Another piece of clothing on the floor. “I won’t leave you alone with them. I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy.”
“So, I’m not an enemy?”
“If you were, I wouldn’t have invited you. You’re a…friend.”
Friend. The word I’m coming to loathe. I know it’s what we are, but based on the amount of texting we’ve done since she asked to participate in this farce, I was hoping maybe it would be a bit more than that.
“Okay, I’m done.” She’s bent over picking up her discarded clothes from the floor.
