Something’s wrong with my sister.
Ever since she showed up at the cottage this morning with Xavier for Zoe’s birthday, I haven’t known how to act around her. She’s been distant; not only with me but with everyone.
I didn’t even know she was supposed to be coming over until last night. After our moment outside, Eli and I spent more than an hour talking, one of my legs sandwiched between his, my temple on his chest and his soft breaths acting as the most potent anxiolytic.
“Are you okay if your sister comes over tomorrow?” he asked as he lazily played with my hair.
“You don’t need my permission to invite a friend over.” Especially since Zoe clearly wanted Xavier there for her special day. We’d been celebrating her birthday all week but tomorrow was when it really counted.
“I know, but I can still ask how you feel about something before doing it.”
Funny how I’d never realized just how little I was considered in other people’s decision-making until someone made sure I knew my opinion mattered.
“Then yeah, I’m good with it.” I buried my nose even closer into his chest. “We’re better now.”
Except I’m not so sure we are.
Ithoughtwe were better after the yard sale. We went back to the lawyer’s office together to sign the paperwork for the money donation, and brought the last of the boxes to goodwill in the same car. She even invited me for a sandwich at her place afterward. I felt like, if I’d left when I was supposed to, we would still have been okay.
But we’ve been walking in the woods for the past five minutes now, on a quest Eli sent us on to find wood for the fire tonight, and the only thing she’s done is nod or shake her head when I ask a question.
“I don’t think Zoe will ever take off the princess costume,” I say as I bend to pick up a small stick. There are no ready-to-use logs in the trail around the cottage—obviously—so unless I improvise and pretend I’m a handy lumberjack, this will have to do. “She’s had it on for five days. Eli is desperate.”
“Hm,” Keira says, not looking away from the path in front of her. Come to think of it, she hasn’t grabbed a single branch either, only walked and stared ahead.
And then it’s silence again.
She surprises me when she finally speaks to ask, “So, the two of you are a thing now?”
I almost trip over a rock.
“You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”
I honest-to-God thought we were. We barely spent any time together throughout the day. I didn’t trust myself not to touch him reflexively. I guess I should’ve tried harder to not even glance in his direction.
“Is that what’s up with you?” That would explain why she’s barely looked at me.
“Nothing’s up with me.”
“Aren’t we past the BS stage?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, I do.” I stop in her path, so she has to stop walking. “Is it about Eli and me? Did I do something?”
There’s a complete blankness in her gaze. “Believe it or not, not everything revolves around you.”
“That’s not fair.” I thought we were past this snarkiness.
She shuts her eyes and exhales. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
I give her time to find her words. The song of birds around us is so loud, it feels as if we’ve walked into a parallel world, one where it’s just us two. Sunlight filters through the thick fir trees, illuminating the ground in a lacy pattern.
Finally, she says, “Rob’s been cheating.”
I blink. Blink again. “Are you sure?”
“If seeing pictures of her tits on my husband’s phone isn’t enough, I don’t know what is.”
