“We,” he says.
Rose’s brows furrow. “What?”
“You said ‘ifIlook into OCD.’ I told you I want to help, so I’m going to help. Lily is my friend too.” He shifts so their bodies press a little closer, and Rose’s laptop sits on each of their legs. They seem to be having a “moment” so I decide to make a quiet exit and head into the kitchen, but as I turn, oneof the DVDs on the top of my bin slides off and clatters to the wooden floor.
I freeze, my eyes widening as their necks turn. I’m a deer caught in their headlights.Please don’t say anything. Let me drift away and pretend we didn’t meet gazes.
No such luck.
Rose shuts her laptop so I can’t see her screen, and she rises from the couch, smoothing down her dress with her hands. “What are you doing up? I thought you took a sleeping pill.” And then her eyes wander to the DVDs in the trash bin.
“I haven’t taken one yet,” I say, avoiding Connor. His presence has increased the volume of my embarrassment. And yet, both of them act completely innocent, as if this isn’t out of the ordinary. Why am I always the one to roast a new shade of red?
“What’s that?” Rose wanders over to my frozen state by the archway, straddling the space between the granite kitchen and the living room. Connor stands and puts his hands in the pockets of his slacks, casual. Having your girlfriend’s sister carry an overflowing bin of porn issonormal.
“I was tossing it,” I tell her as she inspects the DVDs with a quick glance.
“What brought this on?” Rose asks, but something hopeful flickers in her eyes. She can see that I’m trying, and my chest floats, feeling a little better by her reaction.
“I just thought it was time to get rid of it all.”
“That’s the rest?” Connor asks, sidling to Rose. His presence drives knots in my stomach—the way he stands a good four inches taller than Rose, more than that for me. His strong, muscular build reminds me of what I’m missing.
Uncomfortable, I take a step backwards and shun their gazes. “I’m going to trash this and then head back upstairs.”
Rose must read me too well because she uses her arm to push Connor back. “You need to go.”
“Rose, she’s fine. She can’t be afraid of men forever. And anyway, she attended a party with male models. How am I anydifferent than one of them?” I catch him flashing his impeccable smile.
“You did not just compare yourself to a high fashion model.”
“I did.”
Rose stares at the ceiling likeoh my God.“You want to know how many times a day I question why I’m with you?”
“Five times.”
“A hundred.”
“If you told me you were going to exaggerate, I would have picked that, but I thought we were being realistic here, hun.”
I snort. “Smooth.”
Connor gestures to me. “See, she’s fine.”
Rose sets her hands on her hips and looks to me for a final verdict. If I said no, she’d toss out Connor. And Connor is kind of right, as much as I hate to admit that. I shouldn’t be scared of the opposite sex being so close. Even if I have been a bit jumpy after New Year’s.
“He can stay,” I tell her.
Her eyes narrow at me like I chose the wrong answer.
I mouth,what?
She makes a small motion with her head to Connor. Didshenot want him over here anymore? But then I see Connor and he’s—no lie—grinning from ear to ear, as though he won the Academic Bowl Tournament against Princeton, Rose’s college (and now mine).
She lost that tiff, I see.
“I’ll help you with your porn,” Connor says. He goes into the kitchen to find a trash bag while I try to wipe that line clean from memory. I set the bin on the floor and wait for Rose to explode. Her face scrunches like she’s ready to give birth.
