Looking into his new-colored eyes that are strangely watching me in the same way that I’m watching him, I say, “Because soccer is your life and I know that it must be awful foryou that you can’t finish out the season. It must hurt. It’s hurtingme…”
Damn it.
I shouldn’t have said that.
That kinda slipped out, and obviously he catches it.
He catches it with both hands, his eyes narrowed and roving over my face.Curious.
“Why?” he asks again.
“Why what?” I stall, my heart in my throat, on my tongue even.
“Why is it hurtingyou?”
Great going, Salem.
Just fantastic.
We’ve been talking for ten minutes and I’ve already fucked up.
“Uh, because.” I look at his glinting chain, the V of his gray t-shirt. “You’re my sister’s boyfriend. She loves you very much. Of course I’m hurting. I’m worried. For her and for you. And that’s why I can’t believe she’s in LA when you’re here. Besides, whyareyou here? Why aren’t you resting that knee? Shouldn’t you be like, recovering instead of bar hopping or whatever? And…” I swallow, looking up from his chain. “Kissing strange girls who’re not your girlfriend.”
At this, his jaw clenches again.
“For a girl who’s just the little sister, it’s very touching. That you’re hurting and all. But I’ve got a doctor’s note that says it’s okay for me to bar hop and kiss strange girls. So you can relax.”
His voice is cutting and sarcastic. It clearly means I should back down.
But I don’t. There’s no way that I can.
“You said that my sister was in LA. Why didn’t she come with you? She would never leave you alone at a time like this.”
He pushes his tongue into his cheek before saying, “Isn’t this the first conversation we’ve had that’s lasted more than a minute?”
“I…”
“It is, isn’t it?” He lets out a mock sigh. “I think we should stop. Because I have to admit, I’m starting to miss that time.”
The time he’s referring to is the past eight years.
He’s right.
This is the first conversation we’ve had that’s lasted more than a minute. Because as an attempt to keep him safe from my witchy ways, I’ve always kept my distance from him. I’ve always kept my head down around him. I’ve never even made eye contact with him, I think.
So yeah, this is the very first time we’re talking like this.
And when he takes a step back, ready to leave, I don’t want him to go.
So I blurt out the stupidest question in the history of all questions.
The only question that I’ve been wanting to ask ever since I saw him.
Therealquestion.
“Are you cheating on my sister?”
Oh God.
