I stare at her, and I can feel the blood rush to my face.
“I knew it,” she says with a wry little smile.
I’ve never lied to my sister, and I’m not going to start today. “How did you know?” I ask, panic ripping through me.
Have other people noticed too?
“Don’t be mad, but I needed to find your headphones in your room, and you’d left your sketchbook on your bed. You know I love the drawings you do of me, so I was just glancing through them. I swear I wasn’t trying to snoop, and then I got to the back pages.”
If I have ever been this embarrassed before, I don’t remember when.
“He’s got a great body,” she says with a little chuckle, and I fold forward, putting my head in my hands.
“Oh my God.”
“Hey! No judgment. I think it’s awesome. He’s super wealthy, right? Maybe he can buy you a ring and get you out of here.”
“Okay, first of all, there is no question of hisbuying me a ring.And second of all, wherever I go, you’re coming with me.”
She gives me a fond smile. “Does he make you happy?”
I look away, wishing I could tell her the truth, but I’m too terrified of what she might think of me to do it.
Annabelle would never judge anyone for their choices in life, but it’s different talking to Hope and Bethany about sleepingwith a guy for money. When it’s your sister, the conversation becomes a lot more complicated.
“It’s not really about that. It’s pretty casual,” I say lightly.
“But he asked you to the gala tonight?”
“He did, but only because his date bailed.”
Annabelle laughs. “And a billionaire couldn’t think of anyone else to ask but his EA? Seriously? He must have hundreds of women justdyingfor him to take them out. But hechose you.”
I push down the simmering excitement that her words create in me and stand up.
“Maybe,” I say gently, smoothing my dress. “But I really don’t think so. It was just convenient.”
Annabelle shrugs. “Whatever you say.”
“Get some sleep. I’m gonna go see if I can wake them up.”
“Just leave them,” she says with a frown.
“Yeah. But if I do that, the cleanup is a lot harder in the morning.”
Annabelle sighs. “I can come down and help.”
“I don’t want you to do that. You’re tired. Get some rest.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I leave her looking guiltily after me and go downstairs. Standing in front of my parents, looking at the sorry state of their lives, it’s the first time I feel no sympathy for them. They choose to get drunk every night instead of trying to get healthy, and it’s not my job to clean up after them anymore.
I kick my dad’s foot, hard, and he grunts, rolling over on the couch and squinting up at me.
“Why’re you dressed like a cheap whore?”
