“Well, you’ll have to get in line.” A bitter laugh tumbles over her lips. “Looks like we’re all vying for Justin’s time and attention.”
“He’s been really busy the last few weeks, hasn’t he?”
“Ha! Try the last fewmonths.” She puts on a fake smile and I wonder if it’s the same thing Summer’s mom sees when she watches her talk about Justin. “But it’s just temporary, so it’ll be fine, and once he starts coming around more, my family will forget all the times he’s left me high and dry, and I won’t have to be alone at family parties anymore.”
“Do they really give you that hard of a time when he doesn’t show up?”
“They just aren’t convinced he cares about me. To them, if he really loved me, he’d show up to the things that are important to me, even if he’s busy. But Justin hates it when I say that. He’s sick of my family being so heavily involved in our relationship. I don’t blame him, but…” Her words trail off, and I get the sense she’s holding something back.
“But what?” There’s a sadness behind Summer’s normally cheery disposition that makes me feel for her.
“I just thought things would be easy when I found the right person. We’d immediately bond with each other’s families, and everything would click. But that’s not how things are going. I don’t know.” She lifts her shoulders. “Maybe Justin isn’t the right one, and I should just break up with him like everyone says.”
I’m glad she’s at least aware that she and Justin have problems. It makes him leading her on not as bad. I can’t personally see their relationship working out, but I’m not about to be the person who encourages her to break up with my brother, even if he isn’t sure how he feels about her.
“Justin’s a good guy.” When in doubt, take the high road.
“I know, but I barely see him on weekdays, and when I do see him, it’s because I popped by his house or contacted him. I’m just not a priority in his life. So, although he’s a good guy, maybe he’s not a good guy for me.”
This is turning south quickly—like if I don’t turn the tide, Summer will leave this conversation and immediately go break up with Justin. And then when he asks, ‘Where did this come from?’ she’ll say, ‘Your brother,’ and then he’ll hate me, and we’ll never have a chance at having a close relationship.
It’s suddenly a pivotal moment in Justin’s and my relationship, and before I think through what I’m agreeing to, I say, “Let me help with your family. I can stand in for Justin and take some of the pressure off.”
Summer looks at me with an adorable furrow on her brow. “I thought you didn’t want to.”
I thought I didn’t want to either, but here I am, trying to keep their relationship afloat.
“It’s not a big deal for me to hang out and pretend to be Justin. I’m happy to do it if it will help you guys make it through the holidays.” Because after the holidays, maybe Justin will wake up and realize that Summer and her family are great.
“Really?” Her lips teeter between a half-smile and disbelief.
“Yep. Count me in.” We’re probably only talking about one or two more family activities until Justin can come himself.
“But why change your mind all of a sudden?”
“Justin is a great guy, and it would be a shame for you to miss out on something with him just because he’s busy right now.” I’m taking one for the team. Helping Justin. Being a better brother. I’ve been him the last decade—so focused on my career that I didn’t take the time to foster the relationships that matter most to me. By standing in for him, maybe I can stop Justin from making the biggest mistake of his life.
Summer’s half-smile grows into something electric and cute. I keep using that word to describe her, and I don’t know why—it just fits. She’s the epitome of cute.
“Thank you!” She bounces toward me, flinging her arms around my neck. “I’m just so grateful you’re going to help me out.”
I stumble backward, surprised by her spontaneous hug. That same smell of hers floats around me, triggering the memory of holding her in my arms in Justin’s kitchen a few days ago. But now that I know her a little better, holding her feels different. It’s more meaningful than the kiss we shared, although the kiss was pretty epic too.
She tilts our bodies back and forth like a teapot being poured before she releases me and spins around.
I smile as I watch her carefree side take form. I’ve only seen it once before, when we were stretching at her parents’ house before the turkey stuff, but I like it.
I like seeing Summer happy.
That’s probably an underlying reason why I said yes to this whole twin-brother swap, but I’m not admitting that, even to myself.
sixteen
CALEB
Talk about a weird role reversal.
I’m dressed in jeans and a flannel button-up while Justin sits across from me in sweats. He’s moved his workstation away from the kitchen table to the couch. His laptop rests in his lap with a stack of papers piled next to him.
