“That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Right? It’s like, it’s not my job to fix all their messes. But forsome reason everyone expects me to be ‘the mature one.’ The one who’s got it all figured out.” He sighed and flopped back, stretching his arms over his head into the wet grass behind him. “I never get to be the one who needs help.”
I leaned back too, using my hoodie to protect the back of my head, and rested my hands on my stomach. The misty rain tickled my eyelashes.
“That sucks.”
“Yeah.” Chip leaned over to look at me. “Whoa.”
“What?”
“You just have really long eyelashes, dude.”
My cheeks burned.
“Oh. It’s a Persian thing.”
“Huh.”
Chip stared upward again.
“Sorin’s always been a mess. And Ana was never really responsible until she had Evie. And Mom’s got her hands full with both of them, and now Evie too.”
Chip ran a hand through his hair again, leaving it even messier than before.
Somehow, it made his whole face look more open.
Vulnerable, even.
“It’s like, they already sucked up all the air in the house. Now there’s Evie too. And I love her, god I love her, but what’s left for me? Nothing.”
“I’m sorry. That really sucks.”
“Yeah. Well. I’m pretty sure I’m Evie’s favorite at least. She can’t even say Sorin’s name.”
“Sorin’s your brother?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s kind of a cool name, though.”
Chip snorted.
“Sorin?”
“Yeah.”
“Better than Cyprian at least.”
“What do you mean? I like Cyprian.”
“No one can spell it.”
“What does it mean?”
“Man from Cyprus.”
“It suits you. I mean, you seem like a Cyprian.”
