I DON’T KNOW HOW LONGI sleep, but by the time my swollen eyelids flutter open, the daylight is streaming in. As my senses sharpen, my chest tightens. There’s no Don here beside me.I don’t want to be that girl.I want…What do you want, Carrie?It suddenly hits me—I know exactly what I want, and I refuse to let myself be scared to admit it anymore. I don’t know how I’m going to fix this yet, and I don’t know whether I even can. But one thing I do know is that I can’t deny how my heart is swelling as I leap out of bed and rush to my desk, grabbing a pen and notebook and scraping out my stool as I set about mapping out the beginnings of a plan. I need to deal with Mom, I know. But first, I need to make things right and fix the epic fuckup I made yesterday.
28DONOVAN
If I wasn’t in such a bad mood this morning, I’d probably be smirking at my sister slipping out of Adam’s room and sashaying across the apartment, humming “Walking on Sunshine” as she goes. I stare at her, dead-eyed, and when our gazes meet, she stops in her tracks.
“Gotta problem?”
“Nope.”
“Good.”
She dips into the kitchen, and it doesn’t take long for her new boyfriend to join her. Laughter drifts in through the door, followed by a few obnoxiously loud kisses.Seriously?She spends one night at his place and they’re already a thing?One fucking night?!My thoughts go straight to Carrie and how hard this shit is, and my mood darkens.
Arm in arm, they pick their way over to the couch where I’ve been sprawled for hours now. Adam is totally breaching the bro code.
“All good, Don?” He smiles.
I stare at the blank TV.Maybe if I ignore them, they’ll get the hint.
Amelia toys with her straw. “He’s sulking.”
“How come?”
“No idea.”
“Did you ask him?”
Amelia nods.
“And what did he say?” Adam presses.
“Nothing.”
“Did you drop it?”
“Yeah.” Amelia shrugs. “I figured it was nice of me to even ask.”
Back the fuck off.
“It’s gotta be something to do with Carrie.”
“Maybe.” Adam nods thoughtfully. “I can’t remember when I last saw her.”
“I think she suddenly realized how boring my brother is.”
“I’m pretty sure she’s always known that. It must be something else.”
“Maybe—”
“You guys gonna shut the hell up, already?” I snap.
My sister’s eyes crinkle with laughter.
“We fixed him!”
Amelia and Adam fist-bump, before turning back to look at me, waiting for me to speak.
Aren’t they nice and cozy, ganging up on me like an old married couple…
