‘What a surprise,’ I hear myself say. I don’t mean to kick the scared girl, but it’s reflex. I knew she was an only child pretty much the day I met her.
Her expression tries for sneering but it’s too watery. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Let me see. You’re a Type A, overachieving, independent, perfectionist bulldozer who’s used to having your own way.’
She carefully rolls her shoulders, body unclenching, and the tightness in my own chest gives a fraction. I may not know how to soothe Jules, but I know how to do this.
‘I’m not used to having my own way,’ she says. ‘If I want something, I go get it. There’s a difference.’
‘I bet you were spoiled rotten. I bet your mom?—’
‘My mum’s dead.’
I feel like the plane just bottomed out.
Jules hasno mom?
She turns away to tune into the others’ conversation.
‘What? I didn’t know that,’ I say over Pitbull rapping about butts. He’s not exactly setting the right tone.
She reluctantly turns back to me. ‘Why would you’ve known that?’
‘How’d it happen?’
‘Parents die, Tiago. I was only saying it to make you shut up. I didn’t ask for therapy.’
I can’t imagine life without my mom or dad. I don’t mean to sound like Dominic Toretto, but family means everything.
My brain chooses now to remind me of that time I told her she wouldn’t know something real if it bit her in the ass. Shit, I feel like a dick. She probably doesn’t remember it.
‘How long ago?’ I ask.
‘Not telling.’
‘How’d it happen?’
‘Still not telling.’
‘Fuck,’ I say, pushing my hair back. ‘That’s justawful.’
She exhales roughly. ‘Can you find a damn filter?’
‘Are you ok? What about your dad?’
‘He’s alive.’
‘You must be super close. Going through that together… You’re, like, all each other has.’
‘Thank you for reminding me.’
‘Are you ok about it?’
Her stare hardens even more. ‘Like you said, I wouldn’t know something real if it bit me in the arse.’ She tongues her cheek, and I feel the creeping sense that I’m not just a dick, I’m the world’s biggest dick.
‘I’m s?—’
‘Food’s up!’ Trey hollers, and I didn’t realise I could smell pizza until right now. He turns to Jules and Nyla. ‘I didn’t know what you guys wanted so I got a couple of everything.’
