“Not with the heater.” Olivia tapped my sweatpants-clad thigh. “With you andNick.”
Kat looked up with a suspicious grin. “Wait. You and Nick?”
“There is no me and Nick.” I calmly cut another strip. I mean, seriously, did the man work out every day?
“Holly and Nick?” Chloe gasped with delight as she hurried into the room, still chewing a piece of toast. Of course she’d meander into the living room at that exact moment. If big sisters saw all, little sisters interrupted all.
She settled on the hearth in front of the fire, tucking her fur-lined boots up under her. “What’d I miss? Spill the tea.”
Kat frowned. “You don’t even like tea.”
“Oh, don’t pretend like you’re too mature for Gen Z slang.” Chloe stuck out her tongue. “You’re not even five years older than me.”
“And yet in maturity, it might as well be decades.”
Chloe glared. “We could also go by dog years—”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kat waved one hand in the air. “That math would wreck your brain.”
Chloe bristled. “For the record, I have a 3.0 at school. Not that it matters any—” She clamped her hand over her mouth.
Olivia straightened next to me. I could practically feel her big-sister radar pulsing. “What do you mean, ‘not that it matters’?”
“I mean, I might be…transferring.” Chloe shifted on the hearth.
“Grades still matter when you transfer.” Olivia squinted.
Chloe waved her hand. “That’s not important right now. We’re talking about Holly’s love life.”
I fought back a sigh. “Holly doesn’t have a love life.” Then Iremembered the reason Nick was there. “Well, I have a date for Mom’s block party. But that’s all.” Assuming I didn’t run Nick off by then, anyway. I grinned. My Frosty idea had been pretty genius. And Nick’s reaction, priceless.
Though I couldn’t help but feel he’d gotten the last laugh.
“It’s super obvious.” Chloe’s eyes glowed as she munched the rest of her toast.
“What is? Besides your lack of manners.” Kat wrinkled her nose at her.
Chloe ignored her, though she did swipe the crumbs on her cheek with the back of her hand. “Holly and Nick like each other.”
“He’s Ryan’s co-worker and friend. Everyone likes him.” I carefully lined my scissors up for the next cut, holding my breath in case Olivia’s radar pulsed my way.
“No, I mean, youlikelike him,” Chloe singsonged.
“Do not!” My scissors slipped, jabbing into my finger. I quickly popped the offended spot in my mouth as Kat snickered.
Olivia shot me a side-eye. “Nick seems like a good guy. Why notlikelike him?”
“We’re long-distance, for one.” I shrugged, despite the real reason burning to release from my lips.He doesn’t like me that way. He’s only here because he owes Ryan.“And he’s Ryan’s friend. It’d be weird.”
“But not too weird to be your date for Mom’s party?” Olivia’s stare had become more insistent, burrowing into the side of my head as I fought to keep my eyes on my project. I used to love making countdown chains as a kid.
Weird how I didn’t hate it today.
“I don’t blame Holly for that one.” Kat winced. “I’d find a date, too, if I was single. So much pressure at those things.” She shuddered.
I shot her an appreciative smile. “Thank you.” Finally,someone got it. Although, Kat hadn’t been single since she was sixteen, so how much could she really get? “We’re just friends.”
Or something. At this point, defining Nick and me was impossible, because only I—and Ryan, I guess—knew the real reason he was there. And it wasn’t for me.
