She said nothing for a second. “Are you going back to Jack’s?”
I shook my head. “I can’t deal with the people. I’ll book in somewhere.”
“You’re welcome to our couch. It’s old, a relic from way before I was born, I’m sure. My sister rescued it from my folks. It used to open into a bed, it’s jammed now. But it’s very comfy, I can vouch for that. It’s yours if you’d like.”
I met her compassionate gaze. Yeah, she was forever watching out for the underdogs. Probably why she’d adopted me. And why I liked her.
Whysheliked me, I had no idea, considering she knew most of my shit and the wreck I was. It was no secret I avoided my family home and my father whenever possible. Yet Ray never probed.
“You sure? What about your sister?”
“Oh, she won’t mind.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I have friends staying over at times. She’ll be okay with it.”
“Thanks.” I pushed to my feet, weariness taking hold. “Shower? I need to get out of these wet things and get the dirt of Peru off me.”
“You just got back?”
“A few hours ago. Had no time to do much with the surprise party Jack laid out.”
“Jack’s an idiot.” Her mouth thinned in irritation. It was no secret she couldn’t stand him. “Bathroom’s upstairs. Last door in the hallway. Max, there’s no need to rush off in the morning. Stay a few days, sort yourself out.”
“Thanks.”
She cut me a dimpled smile, opening her laptop again.
As I turned to leave, one of the snapshots tacked on the fridge door caught my attention. Ray was licking the face of another girl whose features were scrunched. Again, the need to be included in the warmth drew me. Strange, I never felt that way about Ray—if anything, I saw her more as a kid sister.
The image of the dancing, laundromat girl flickered through my mind, along with the momentary flash of sunshine. The urge to go back, to find her, talk to her, took hold.
Truth was, even if I did return, it wouldn’t take long before I destroyed her life, too. Like I had the only person I’d ever loved.
Ila
The warmth of my apartment was a familiar comfort, my safe haven. Gratefully, I shut the door behind me, inhaling the aroma of coffee-infused air. Books were strewn on the coffee table and the couch.
I adored my sister, but Rayen was like a walking tornado, one with a really keen brain. She had decided to major in math, which I never understood. But then she was the smart one, unlike me. Balancing my checkbook was like tackling a quantum equation.
Dumping the heavy, linen bag on a chair, I retrieved the laundry, sorted through the items, then left my sister’s stack on the dining table. “Ray?”
“In here.”
As I walked into our tiny kitchen, I found her in the middle of eating a muffin and working on her laptop. The girl was a bottomless pit, ate like a horse, and didn’t gain a pound. Lucky for her, she was also tall while I was short and petite.
“Your things are on the table. It’s your turn to do the laundry next.” I cut her a stern look so she’d know I was serious. Ray barely tackled chores, and laundry was a dead zone for her.
“Aww, man. I hate hauling that ugly bag down to the laundromat.” Her lips curved in a sulky pout. “When are you gonna get the washing machine fixed?”
I pulled off my damp jacket and dropped it on the stool. “Feel free to call Mr. Wong. If you can get him to move any faster, I’ll give you—”
“Five hundred dollars?” she asked with a bright smile.
A snort escaped me. My sister could wheedle almost anything she wanted out of anyone, probably because of those dimples of hers, or, maybe because of her big heart and compassion for the downtrodden. “You wish. A big smoochy kiss is what you’ll get.”
She scrunched her nose, then grabbed me and licked my cheek.
“Gross, Ray! Really?” Scowling, I swiped my face with the back of my hand. “Must you do that?”
“Yup.” She grinned. “So you wouldn’t do it to me.” She picked up a cranberry-orange muffin and stuffed more of the crumbly cake into her mouth.
