I panic internally for a beat before I self-correct. “The Grubhub mix-up, remember? Looked like she’s in the apartment right above us. It seems like ignoring her would take more work than confronting her.”
“You sound like my parents,” he scoffs. “They thought if we lived in the same building, we’d be forced to talk through our issues eventually.”
“Is that why we chose this place over the townhome?”
He merely shrugs.
“We could’ve had a dog park!”
“We don’t have a dog.” He rolls his eyes.
“We could’ve been across the street from an HEB plus. We have to take thehighwayfrom here.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” He shakes his head. “But saying no to my parents isn’t an option for me, unlikesomepeople in my family.”
“What does that mean?” Is he talking about Leti?
“Leti does whatever she wants, without a care to how it affects everyone else. If it weren’t for Elena, we probably never would’ve heard from her again after she moved out of our parents’ place.”
“Oh, come on. I’m sure that’s not true.”
“It is. Not only because of me either,” he says. “Our parents were hard on all of us growing up, but every time Leti resisted, they came down even harder on her. Elena and I stopped fighting our parents at all as teenagers and did whatever they said, because we knew what we were in for. And if I’m being really honest? After a while, I think we started to feel bad for them. It’s why I still can’t say no to even their dumbest requests, like moving into the same apartment complex as Leti as if we can solve all our issues by proximity alone.”
“You’re an adult now, Andrew. What would they really have done if you’d refused and gotten the townhome instead?”
“I’d never hear the end of it, for one.” He sighs. “I couldn’t even lie and say there were no vacancies because my dad called the leasing office when I tried. They were one step away from a guilt trip, so I caved. It was easier that way. Besides, at least I can say I tried and blame the fact that nothing has changed on my sister.”
Nothing about that sits well with me, and not only because I know who Leti is now. Or maybe she’s the entire reason.
“You want to blame the sister they’re already extra hard on for something that’s not even her fault? You don’t see how fucked up that is?”
“She doesn’t care what they think. She can handle it.” He downs the rest of his beer before rising from the couch.
“Enough about my family. What are you gonna do about your girl?” He changes the subject from the kitchen, where he dumps the empty beer can into the trash and grabs another from the fridge. “What’s your plan?”
“Help her date other people.” I let out a disappointed sigh. When I glance up at him, he’s looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What?”
“Is that what that getup was about? You’re dressing like the people she’s dating?” His mouth drops open when I don’t bother replying. “Do me a favor? The next time you borrow my jacket, don’t let it be for something that will humiliate us both.”
“This was our arrangement, and it was my idea,” I tell him. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t back out now just because it took me this long to realize I still like her.”
“Sure you can,” he says, like it’s so easy. “Tell her how you feel. Better yet, tell her you want to help her date you instead of other people.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Fine.” He shrugs. “Swallow your feelings. See how well that works out for you.”
“Does it have to be one or the other?” I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees as I rub my temples. “If I tell her how I feel, she’ll run the opposite direction the first chance she gets. But if I swallow my feelings, I risk the chance of throwing them back up at the most inconvenient moment. Neither option get me what I want.”
“You really like her.” He doesn’t say it like a question. “I wondered when you’d finally get over the whole Ryan thing.”
“You mean the whole destroying my family thing?”
“Your mom is better off without your dad, and you know it,” he says, and not for the first time. “You’re better off without him too. Anyone you’re related to who thinks otherwise doesn’t deserve to call you family.”
“I know that,” I say. “I really don’t want to fuck up another relationship before it starts.”
“Maybe it doesn’t have to be one or the other,” he says, and I immediately glance up. “You sure you wanna listen to me? I’m not exactly known for my great relationship advice.”
