I swipe to answer. “Hello?”
“Everlee?”
“Yea. What’s up?”
“What are you doing on the phone?”
“You called me.”
“No, I didn’t. I called your brother.”
“No. You called me. That’s why I’m talking to you.”
“What? No.”
“Mom. Why would I be talking to you if you didn’t call me?”
“Well, fiddlesticks. I was meaning to call your brother. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. You?”
“Ehh. Your dad left for his business trip just a bit ago, so I’m at the house by myself for a week.”
“Oh wow. What are you going to do, you sassy little minx?”
“Everlee.” The way she says my name tells me she’s blushing.
“Well, let me go. I need to call your brother.”
“Ok. Talk to you later. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
I set the phone down and Beckett is staring at me. “That was fucked up.”
“Ehh. It’s payback for all those times she tricked us as kids. Eat your carrots or you’ll go blind. Don’t swallow your gum or you’ll inflate like the kid in that movie.”
“Don’t masturbate or your fingers will fall off.”
“She never told me that one.”
“Well, that explains a lot.”
“What does that even mean?”
Beckett’s phone rings again and before I can answer it, he snatches it and puts it on speaker.
“Hey mom,” Beckett answers.
“The weirdest thing just happened. I called you. Well, I thought I did and Everlee picked up. I swear I pressed your name, though.”
“You called me. Everlee was being funny.”
“Hey mom,” I chime in.
“Everlee!” she scolds. “Well, while I have you on the phone, Winston was asking about you.”
“Mom,” I groan.
