"That's good news." I pulled out of the lot.
"Good news? It's incredible news. We literally saved her life."
"The doctors saved her life. The foundation provided access to screening."
"Which she wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Same thing."
I merged into the Atlantic. The afternoon traffic was thick, sluggish. A cab cut in front of me, and I hit the brakes harder than necessary.
"Aria says…"
"What does Aria say?" It came out flatter than I'd intended.
Evie went quiet. I glanced at her for a second. She was watching me with that new look again. The one that saw too much.
"You do that a lot," she said.
"Do what?"
"Get weird when I mention her."
"I don't get weird."
"You get all stiff and sarcastic. Like right now. You think I don’t understand, but I do."
I adjusted my grip on the steering wheel. "I have a lot on my mind. Work has been demanding."
"It's not about work. It's about Aria."
"Evie…"
"Do you hate her?"
The question landed like a punch. I kept my eyes on the road.
"No."
"But you don’t like her. It’s pretty obvious."
I didn’t respond. The cab in front of me slammed its brakes for no apparent reason. I stopped short, jaw tight.
"She asked about you," Evie said quietly.
My eyes flicked to the mirror. "What?"
"Last week. She asked what you were like at home. Whether you were always so..." She paused. "Stiff."
"And what did you tell her?"
"The truth. I think she's curious about you," Evie added before I could ask what her version of the truth was. "She pretends she's not, but she asks little questions sometimes. About our family. About what you do."
"Your Gigi wants you at her birthday dinner," I said in an attempt to divert the conversation from Aria. "It’s next Thursday."
"Do I have to go?"
My eyes were on the road, but I could practically hear the frown in her voice. "You don't enjoy these dinners."
"Nobody enjoys these dinners. Except maybe Uncle Xavier, because he’s everyone’s favorite. The last time I went, she spent twenty minutes asking why I wasn't in ballet anymore. And then she told me I was holding my fork wrong."
