Page 50 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

The pointed teasing in her tone was impossible to miss.

“Did I tell you she hurt her back?” Kira asked.

I shook my head.

“She’s okay now. She has to get treatments once a week for a bit, but we’ll get Miss Fares on those days, and I like her. She does this fact-check game that’s actually pretty cool.”

“I hope your teacher has a good chiropractor.” Rochelle nudged her chin at me. “Did you send her to your dear old dad?”

“Uh, no. I’m pretty sure he’d lock her out of his office.”

I sat forward. “How did we end up talking about me and Miss Walker when you–” I tapped the edge of Kira’s plate “–just admitted that you want to kiss that Miles kid.”

Rochelle’s laugh was loud, and I knew what that laugh meant. She was surprised and impressed by how deftly Kira managed to turn the conversation away from herself.

Kira’s face turned pink. “It’s not a big deal. He’s just… nice.”

Rochelle smirked. “That boy is pretty cute.”

She gave her aunt a shy smile, and I shook my head. “We talked about this.”

“But back then, I didn’t know him. I know him now.”

“You know him,” I repeated, watching her head dip twice. “And you’re dating him.”

Confusion rippled across her features, and I let out a breath of relief. Thank fuck she hadn’t gotten that far into it yet.

“We’re just friends right now. I mean, I like him, but he doesn’t know. Miss Walker said I should take my time. She told me that when a person is grieving, they might look for the wrong kind of comfort, and it could end up hurting more than helping.”

My neck snapped toward her. “Miss Walker told you that?”

She nodded, then realized her mistake. Her mouth went slack as she noticed my expression. “Dad, I asked her about Miles. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It’s not her place to give you advice like that.”

“But if she didn’t say anything,” Kira reasoned, “I might’ve already kissed Miles. Because I want to. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

Rochelle reached across the table and touched Kira’s wrist. “You’re right. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had to calm down. This was why she didn’t tell me things like this.

“It’s okay that you want to kiss a… nice kid like Miles,” I ground out. “But it might not be the right choice for you.”

It was probably a good thing that Mia talked Kira down from kissing Miles. Even if it wasn’t her place, even if she should have told me about that conversation, Mia was trying to help. I needed to keep that in mind before I did something stupid. I wouldn’t get away with cornering her in a closet a second time.

Rochelle lifted a brow. “Which is why she hasn’t kissed him yet.”

“Right. Yeah… right,” I agreed. “And I’m… proud of you for thinking it through.”

Kira glanced at me with suspicion. I blew out a breath. Tash was always better at this than I was. A sharp ache pierced my chest, and I rubbed at it absently, as if touching it could make this grief disappear.

“And?” Rochelle prodded.

“And… if you feel like you’re ready to… kiss him, I think it should be up to you.”

I could feel Kira’s eyes on me as she searched my face.

My sister patted my arm with her free hand and said, “Well done. You got there in the end.”