“I don’t know…it’s…pickleball!”
He arches a brow like he wants me to elaborate, but honestly, I thought the name in itself was reason enough.
“It’s preppy and trendy and dumb.”
“Do you even know how to play pickleball?”
“No.”
He pats my shoulder like he’s trying to calm an angry toddler. “And you’re sure this has nothing to do with your feelings for Jules?”
Okay, wow, shots fired. Am I that easy to read? I toss a pillow at his face. “Of course it’s about my feelings for Jules. I don’t get what she sees in him. He’s rich and annoying.”
“Rich and annoying and plays pickleball,” Mason repeats. “Been listening to your sad eighties playlist?” he teases.
I glare. “No.”
He hums, not believing me. And he shouldn’t. It’s been on repeat since Jules announced her engagement.
His expression softens. “Alex. You should tell her.”
“Tell her what?” He gives me a look that says “You know what,” and I shake my head. “She’s engaged, Mase. As evidenced by the shindig I just attended and the oversized rock on her finger.” The image of her giving me a sad smile and handing me my helmet, then turning to take Brian’s hand will be etched in my mind for an eternity.
He squeezes my arm. “I know it’s hard, but you should still tell her. Don’t you think she deserves to know you’re in love with her?”
I take back the pillow and press it against my stomach, clutching it like a lifeline. “She’s happy. I don’t want to ruin that.”
“So you get to stay miserable?” he counters.
Yes. I’ll be miserable every day in every life if it means Jules gets to be happy. “I’ll be okay. Once I get through the wedding, I’ll figure out how to move on. Again.” He opens his mouth, probably to protest, but I’m tired, and I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. “How’s Sarah?” I ask before he can utter a word. It’s been a while since he talked about her.
His mouth closes, and he looks away. “We broke up.”
“Mase,” I say, letting his name hang in the air between us. How the hell did I not know they broke up? Am I that bad a sister? “When? Why?”
“Last month. I didn’t tell you because Jules had just got engaged, and you seemed pretty upset. And you know why.” His tone is as sharp as the look he gives me.
My stomach sinks. I was afraid he might do this. Push her away to spare her from possible heartache. I just thought, after four years together,hewas going to be the one to announce an engagement.
“You can have relationships,” I remind him quietly.
“So can you.”
We sit in silence, the mood shifting into something downright depressing. In our attempted chivalry, it seems we ended up just hurting ourselves. Truth be told, it kind of sucks. I put my head on his shoulder. “We’re a mess.”
He wraps his arm around me. “It’s the Pestano way.”
“Mom’s not a mess, though.”
“She’s an Avery now,” he reminds me. “Plus, Mom’s the best of us all.”
“Is that why you still live with her?”
He stands, causing me to fall over, looking insulted. “Excuse you. I’ve been saving up for a house.”
I want to ask if he was saving for a house to build a life with Sarah before he pissed it all away, but I don’t. “Wow, look at you. Saving for a house. So grown-up.”
“Gotta use Dad’s child support money for something.” He sits at his desk and turns on his computer.
