Once he hangs up, he stares at me in silence for a moment, gnawing on a nail.
“Stop overthinking.”
He’s about to reply when my phone starts ringing. It’s Lois—which is weird for this time of day. My fingers are sticky with peanut butter, so I hit loudspeaker.
“Yup?”
“Are you okay?” Her voice sounds funny.
“Fine, yeah. Why?”
“Just checking. What are you up to?”
“I’m with Carter. Areyouokay? You sound weird.”
“Did you guys get the microwave meals in for tomorrow night?”
“We’re going to the store later,” I lie, and Carter raises his eyebrows at me.
“Oh, really?”
Carter opens his mouth, but I hush him with a hand. He feels guilty enough as it is—I don’t need Lois feeling bad, too.
“Is he sleeping at your place?” she presses.
“Yeah.”
“On my couch?”
“Yeah.” I frown. I have no idea where this conversation is going.
She sighs heavily. “Okay, then.”
Silence settles between us.
“That all?”
“I am going to kick your ass to hell and back, you pathetic little liar!” she yells. “Becca just messaged me—and guess what? She’s super excited that Cart’s spending Christmas with her. Which meansyou’llbe spending it alone!”
“Fucking girls,” I sigh.
I glance at Carter, taking in how hard he’s grinning right now. I look away.
“So you weren’t planning on telling me, then?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because who the fuck cares?!”
She’s holding the phone away from her mouth, I can tell—I can make out muffled cussing.
“I’ll call you back in five,” she says.
I stare down at my phone, shell-shocked.
“You just got scolded like a little kid.” Carter laughs.
