Page 31 of What We Got Wrong

“What is wrong with you?” Liv said, instead of a greeting.

Audrey smiled at her beatifically, her blonde hair perfectly bouncy, though there was something off about the sharp, precise way she was moving. Still, she cheerfully greeted her, walking into Liv’s room holding up a tray with two coffee cups and a brown paper bag. “Good morning, beautiful cousin.”

“Good morning,” Liv replied slowly, closing the door and following Audrey towards the table in her room.

In the middle of setting up their breakfast, her cousin paused, looking out the window and making a face. “Your view is so much better than mine.”

To be fair, the room did have a gorgeous view of the Chicago skyline. “I’m sorry. Would you like to switch?”

“You’re so silly,” Audrey replied, and Liv raised her eyebrows. “Have a seat. Here’s your coffee.”

“Thank you?” It was definitely a question, though she did take a sip of her coffee then, enjoying the bitterness of the dark roast. “This is delicious.”

“I thought so too,” Audrey said. She was staring at Liv, like she was trying to figure her out…or maybe, Liv thought, like she had figured her out, which… That thought was terrifying. “We missed you at the mixer last night.”

“Who missed me?” Liv asked, laughing a little. Her dad loved this little party he threw himself every year, with people lining up to talk to him. “Did my dad need his hand held for some reason?”

Audrey hummed. “No, no. He did have an interesting conversation that I think he wished you could have participated in. It’s such a strange coincidence. He was chatting with a couple of our workshop facilitators, and it turns out they went to your college.”

“Hmm.” Liv couldn’t think of anything to say.

“And then I was thinking about it. We’re only starting day two, and I’ve already seen you chatting with these same individuals multiple times,” Audrey continued. She was trying to stare Liv down, though she looked a bit ridiculous doing so while wiggling perfectly sculpted eyebrows. “What’s that about?”

And this was the thing. Liv was a private person, and most of her adult years had revolved around her career. She had very little life to speak of, and given this, it seemed like maybe Audrey thought she wasn’t going to answer her questions. But Liv wasn’t ashamed of the years she spent at Livingston, of everything she’d done—up until the end, at least—or of the friendships that she’d made.

Liv wasn’t ashamed of who she was.

Still, she needed a moment to gather her thoughts. “You’re talking about the Prism Group?”

“I am talking about the Prism Group,” Audrey confirmed excitedly.

Liv hesitated, weighing her options, and then said, with total confidence, “Quinn was my roommate.”

“You were roommates?” Audrey squeaked, shock evident in her voice.

Liv took a deep breath before adding, “All through college.”

Her cousin’s pitch rose even higher. “All through college?”

“Are you just going to repeat what I say?” Liv asked.

“I’m so sorry if I’m not processing all of this the way you want me to,” Audrey squealed. She stared at Liv for a moment, as if she’d never seen her before, blinking like it would reset her mind. After a few moments, she cleared her throat. “It kind of feels like you’re saying more…”

Liv wasn’t sure she was ready to have this conversation, but she was also tired of not being open. She shrugged, slowly nodding.

Audrey’s jaw dropped. “Livvie. How have you never told me this?”

Liv shrugged again. “I’ve only told a few people. A few friends, mostly in college. My parents.”

“Your parents,” Audrey shouted.

“They know that I like women,” Liv confirmed. “It’s probably not what they would have picked for me, but they haven’t been hateful about it.”

“I mean, sure, you’re married to your job. It doesn’t really matter to them who you’re attracted to,” Audrey replied. Maybe it was harsh, but Liv giggled. She was right. “They took it okay, though?”

Liv was quiet for a while at that. They’d taken it better than expected, all things considered. When Liv had decided to go away to school, it was because she needed to get away from everything, needed to try to deal with what had happened to her sister, but also not feel surrounded by the loss every single day. Her parents had worried that going away, where she didn’t know anyone, would make her fold in on herself, but she was brightening at school, and they were seeing glimpses of the girl she’d been. She seemed happy.

But when she came home at the end of school, she was different. Serious, again, even more serious than when she’d left for freshman year. They tried to convince themselves that serious was good, was safe. And she was an adult, making competent, stable decisions. She was working, and then engaged, and then married.