“Me neither,” Millie agrees. “Are you taking any other classes?”
“Yeah, math,” Kane says. He doesn’t elaborate, and we fall into silence again.
Coming clean to Kane is the right thing to do, but dang if I’m not nervous about telling him that my marriage is fake. What if he’s angry that we lied to him? What if he doesn’t want to live with me if Millie isn’t part of the package? He lost his mom, and while no one could ever replace her, would he be upset if he didn’t have a female figure in his life again?
My mom has been the one constant in my life, and I can’t imagine not having that relationship.
Millie comes up behind me and laces her fingers with mine, then gives them a squeeze.It’s time. She tips her head back, locking eyes with me. Her irises are even greener against the lush, tropical backdrop.
I squeeze back and nod to a bench several yards ahead, beneath a banyan tree. We stop, the need to rehydrate the perfect excuse, and sit on either side of Kane.
“Hey, buddy.” I try out the endearment Millie uses for him, but it feels foreign and forced. I clear my throat and try again. “We have something we want to tell you.”
Kane rubs his palms against his thighs, swallowing audibly. “Wha—what is it? Is it something with Rob? Am I not going to live with you?”
“No, no, no, it’s nothing like that,” Millie chimes in, her voice sweet and reassuring.
A modicum of tension drains from his body, but his knees still bounce.
“You know how we told you we’re married?”
“Yeah?” He blinks at me, his lips parted.
“We’re, uh. Actually, we’re not.” I hold my breath, my heart hammering in my ears.This is it. This is where he calls me a liar and refuses to trust me ever again. I’ve failed him before I’ve even had a proper chance.
With a giant exhale, Kane takes his hat off and rakes his fingers through his messy hair. “That’s it?”
“What do you mean,that’s it?” Millie asks.
He drops his head back. “Dude, I already knew that.”
Air whooshes from my lungs. “What?”
“I didn’t know for sure, but I figured.”
“How?” Millie shifts on the bench, her hands pressed to her knees.
“C’mon. You didn’t know your own damn last name.” He elbows me.
Millie peers around Kane, and when our eyes meet, we break into a fit of laughter.
“There were other things too,” he continues. “You didn’t know her taco order. Or that shesortaeats Jewish.”
“Kosher,” I correct.
“Yeah that.” He winces. “Sorry.Kosher.”
Millie squeezes his knee. “You’re very observant for fifteen.”
“Perks of being a wallflower, I guess.”
My heart is still beating wildly, but now in excitement rather than panic. “So… you’re not mad?”
“Nah, man. We’re cool.”
“Cool, huh? Did you hear that, Mills?I’m cool.”
He barks out a laugh. “That’s not what I said.”
