Eyes narrowing again, she cocked her head to one side and chewed more slowly. “You and Jack?”
“Yeah.”
She flipped her head in the opposite direction. “My brother, the football star, and Jack, the soccer star?”
“Yes. Fuckin’ hell, Cara. Me. Jack. Yes, dammit.”
“Okay, calm down, just wanted to make sure.” Istillwaited for her opinion, which she tortured me by withholding, then finally said, “Okay.”
“Okay?” I waited forokay?
Cara shrugged and shook her head. “Yeah. Did you want a cookie or somethin’?”
“You’re not weirded out about it?”
“No. Well, I mean, I already knew. Y’all have been kinda obvious at it, makin’ eyes at each other and so on.”
I threw my hands in the air. “Then what was all that?”
Cara chuckled. “Of course I had to tease you. It’s what sisters do.”
I smiled for a few more seconds, then let it go. “You’re okay with it? Me being …”
“I don’t care if you’re— Uh, what are you? Bi?”
“Maybe?”
“Cool.” She took another bite. “You really like him?”
“Yeah. He’s coming over.”
“Tellin’ me to get lost?”
“Actually, why aren’t you out with Momma doin’ that Black Friday shit?”
“She couldn’t go first thing this mornin’, so she’s picking me up later.”
“Too busy, huh? Of course.”
I leaned my elbows on the counter so I could stretch across it to be closer. “You doin’ okay?” I waved my arm around the kitchen. “With all their bullshit, I mean.”
She shrugged. “Some days. Momma’s tryin’. I think, anyway. Hey, so, speakin’ of them, I don’t want you to stick around here after graduation.”
“Cara.”
“I’m serious. I’d feel like crap if you did that for me. Daddy was just bein’ a jerk the other night. I’ll be fine.”
“I know you can handle yourself.”
“Good. That settles it.”
Not by a long shot, but I liked her simplistic ideals.
Afterbreakfast,Icleanedthe kitchen, then rushed through a shower. The cuts on my arm were sore and a little red at the edges. Should I tell Jack about it? He’d want to know, and he’d be pissed. Hell,Iwas pissed, but I didn’t want to upset him.
I threw on sweats with a long-sleeved T-shirt and rushed downstairs, nearly tripping over Cara, who sat on the last step.
“Weirdo,” she mumbled as I slammed into the front window and peeked around the curtain.
