Page 90 of The Other Room

“Well, your superpower is busted as hell.”

“But it’s not,” she said, then pursed her lips together for a beat. “I know he loves you. I do. There must be some rational explanation. There has to be.”

“Jenna, as much as I wish there were, there isn’t. I mean, come on. I saw them together with my own two eyes, and Aaron just confirmed it. And let’s be honest, Matt isn’t exactly the stand-up guy I always thought he was. He crossed the damn line with her last year while she was engaged to his best friend. I mean, who does that?”

“I’ll admit it doesn’t look good.”

“I know what I saw. And even though I believed him when he said he loved me that still doesn’t mean he wouldn’t fall back into her arms with one crook of her finger. She’s like a freaking siren.”

“A siren whose ass I’m gonna kick.”

“Only after I get done with her.”

We exchanged a sisterly smile. The kind we used to share when we were working together to trick mom with one of our sinister schemes.

“I’m really sorry, hun. I wanted this to work out for you so badly. I didn’t want you to end up like me.”

“What are you talking about?”

Before she could answer, her big bulldog, Arnold, trotted into the bedroom.

“Hey, buddy,” I said to him when he reared up on his back legs, struggling to drag his brindle and white squatty body up onto the bed.

Jenna reached down and caught him under his rear and pushed him up the rest of the way. Big slobbery kisses coated my face, and I shut my eyes while I laughed and shoved him off.

“Quit it, Arnold!” He gave me one last kiss, then flopped onto Jenna’s crossed legs.

“Hey, sweet baby boy.” She closed her eyes and kissed him on his black nose. “Aunty Jo is here, and she’s sad so I think she needs more kisses to cheer her up.”

“No more kisses, Arnold. But thanks for the morning bath.” I wiped the last of the slobber from my face, then rubbed his wrinkled head and he let it settle into Jenna’s lap.

“What did you mean ‘turn out like you’?” I gestured around the extravagant spare bedroom in her beautiful house. “I’d say you’ve got a pretty kick-ass life.”

“Yeah. I’ve got a great career, a gorgeous house, a shoe closet to die for, and this guy.” She rubbed Arnold’s head. “But notice what’s missing from this life of mine?”

I shook my head.

“Someone to share it with. I spend every single day with couples who are madly in love and planning their lives together, and then I come home alone. I never wanted my baby sis to fall victim to the same insecurities I’ve had ever since Dad left. I wanted you to fall in love and trust someone the way I’ve never been able to.”

“Well, I did trust someone. For all of twelve hours I trusted Matt and look where that landed me.” I snorted, and Arnold tipped his head, then laid it back down.

“Yeah, I hear you. I did that once, too.”

“You did? Who?”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Remember? Carter? That dude in college I met on spring break in Hawaii?”

My eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! I forgot about him!”

“Yep. At least I got more than twelve hours of happiness. I got five days of heaven before I caught him in bed with my roommate, so at least there was that.”

“God! Men are such assholes!”

“Yep. He was my one attempt at shaking off the fear I had of trusting men. After that, the trust train chugged out of the station.”

“So, at least you understand what I’m going through.”

“Oh yeah, I get it. But,” she said, lifting her fingers, “that doesn’t mean I want you to stop trying.”