No, no, no.
The confusion I felt seconds ago has long melted away, dread now filling my belly.
Laney would give me loads of shit over coming home with Lincoln, but that, I could recover from. This? This is much, much worse.
I hop out of bed, yanking a long T-shirt over my head as I fly across the room. When I fling open my bedroom door, there’s my worst nightmare—my younger half-sister, Hilary—sitting on my couch, sipping on coffee and looking smug as she takes an eyeful of Lincoln’s naked ass.
Seriously, why the hell is the man still naked? Was he in such a hurry to flee that he couldn’t even pull his pants over his junk?He’s got to be kicking himself for that decision now.
Lincoln stands there, frozen, with his clothes strategically wadded up over his crotch, looking like a deer in headlights. His eyes dart around the entryway, searching for a place to find some privacy.
I roll my eyes toward the ceiling. God—could this situation be any worse?
I can’t decide if my life is a dark comedy or a pathetic tragedy.
My gaze darts back to my pain-in-the-ass half-sister. “Hilary, what are you doing here? Do you realize what time it is? And how the hell did you get in here, anyway?”
Who breaks into someone’s house, dressed in head-to-toe pink yoga wear, at this hour of the morning?! Ugh. I hate pink!
She shrugs. “What can I say? Early bird catches the worm, and I sure caught sight of abigworm this morning.” She glances over at an uncomfortable looking Lincoln and cackles, her pointy chin gesturing toward his crotch.
“Hilary!” I stomp my foot, probably shaking the building’s shitty foundation in the process. My eyes swing toward Lincoln and my voice lowers to a loud whisper. “Bathroom…” I angle my head toward the small bathroom down the hallway.
“Oh, right…”
I watch as he duck-walks in that direction, still cupping his clothes over his junk.
I let out a silent groan.
Yeah, no. This is definitely not a comedy.
Hilary clears her throat, grabbing my attention once more. “I was on the way to the gym when I decided to come over to discuss Great-Grandma’s latest tantrum at that maniacal family dinner of ours. But I can see that you’re otherwise occupied…”
“Yes. I’m otherwise occupied,” I grit through my teeth.
“I’ll just get out of your hair then,” she says with a smirk.
And for the first time in our lives, I consider thanking her. She could have totally dragged this out to torture me, but she’s not. Maybe Hilary is finally growing up after years and years of flinging hatred my way.
She rises from the couch with a sense of grace I’ll never possess, and then she turns for the front door. I don’t bother to scold her for leaving her empty coffee cup behind. Anything to get rid of her, ASAP.
I start to follow her, ready to flip the lock behind her. But right before Hilary exits, she whips around and ambushes me, raising her phone in my face. She snaps a photo of me. “Say cheese, sister.”
I blink as her camera flash blinds me.
She taps the rattly door knob as she steps outside.“And remember to lock up next time. Safety first, hun.”
I let out a banshee shriek and Hilary’s cackle bounces off the early morning air. In a rage, I bend down, grab the nearest object, and end up flinging a random shoe at the front door right as it slams in my face.
I hear Lincoln still bumbling around inside the bathroom. I ignore his very existence. Storming back to my bedroom, I kick the door shut and flop facedown on my bed.
Then my phone buzzes from somewhere inside the tangle of clothes on the floor. I dig the device out of the mess and find a text message from my half-sister.
Hilary: This will make a great addition to Great-Grandma’s family album, don’t you think?
Attached is the photo she just took of me in my disheveled state…with Lincoln’s bare ass photo-bombing the picture as he’s lunging through the bathroom door.
I punch my mattress. I scream into my pillows.
