“Not in a few weeks,” I answer, the words coming out slowly. “Why?”
I lean back in my chair as she stares me down, frowning at my answer.
“When was the last time you went to a party? Who were you with?”
I raise my brow at her, a surprised laugh falling from my mouth. I feel like I’m being interrogated by Mom for coming home after curfew. What’s gotten into her?
“Jesus, what's with the third degree?” I laugh, shaking my head. “I don’t know, six weeks ago? Maybe seven. I was with Harry, Evan, and Ian. Anything else you want to interrogate me about?”
“Were you hanging out with Savannah Ward that night?”
Terror rips through me at the mention of her name. I haven’t heard from her since she dropped by the ranch to spew bullshit about being pregnant. She wouldn’t dare try to get to me through my baby sister, would she? Even for her, that should be a step too far.
“No!” I sound defensive, and I immediately cringe. “No, Jesus. Why would I hang around her after everything she did?”
Maggie’s eyes flit to my hands, and I bite back a curse when I realize they're shaking on the counter. Fuck. She opens her mouth to say something, but I babble on before she can get it out.
“She was there that night. She was trying to get people to go down to the lake. I told her to fuck off. Why are you even asking about this?”
I swear to everything holy, if Savannah is trying to fuck with one of my sisters again, I'm going to get a restraining order on her entire family. All I want is to live my life—my reasonable, normal life. I don't want to deal with any of this bullshit.
“People have been talking.” Her words are brittle and untrusting, her eyes still narrowed as she glares at me. “Rumors are going around about you two hooking up.”
Hooking up? Christ, what are high school kids talking about these days?
“That definitely didn't happen,” I say firmly. “I got trashed that night, and I barely even remember most of it, but I was with the guys. I'd remember if Ihooked upwith Savannah Ward.”
Guilt and frustration gnaw at each other in my chest. I've never regretted something so much in my life, and I can't evenfucking remember what happened. Nothing else makes sense, but I can't imagine any amount of liquor that would make me think fucking Savannah was a good idea.
If people are talking about it, that means Savannah is telling people. I shudder to think what else she's telling them.
I need to figure out how to fix that whole situation, but first, I need to get my little sister’s mind off it. She's too damn smart for my good, and I don't need her figuring anything out before I come up with a solution.
“You think I'd do that to Kenzie?” I ask.
It's a cheap shot, especially because I know how much she likes Kenzie, even if she won't say it out loud. It works like a charm, and the suspicion in Maggie’s eyes fades away as she breaks out into a beaming smile.
“Kenzie, huh?” she asks.
I probably look like an idiot with how wide I'm grinning, but I can't bring myself to care. I've never felt so light and comfortable around anyone, like I don't have to hide any part of myself.
“We’re going out to dinner tonight,” I say, the tension draining away from my shoulders as Maggie leaves the topic of Savannah alone. “I have to figure out somewhere nice to take her.”
“Dinner?” She arches a perfectly shaped brow and rakes her gaze over me. “For food, or for a date?”
God, do all girls really think the exact same way?
“A date,” I say, laughing. “I made that very clear.”
Her eyes light up properly at that, and she downs the rest of her juice before answering me.
“Good, Oakley owes me money then,” she says, oozing smugness.
I laugh, baffled, as she puts her glass in the sink.
“Why would she owe you money?”
“Oh, we’ve had a bet going for years about who would ask who out first,” she says with a casual shrug, heading out of the kitchen and back toward the stairs. “I had my money on you putting your big boy pants on and being brave. Thanks for proving me right.”
