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ks Maria, pointing to Javier on the deck.
“Yes.”
“He’s adorable, and he and Drew seem to have hit it off.”
“They have.” Maria turns her head to Tori. “Drew is a great kid. He’s very kind. Javier doesn’t have many friends.”
“Oh, thank you,” Tori says, coming around the island to hug Maria. I notice Maria’s hesitancy to return the hug. “Come out back with me, and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Tori pulls her hand and Maria follows, looking at me over her shoulder.
“I’ll be there in one sec,” I tell her as they slip out the sliding glass door. I turn to my sister, resisting the urge to rip the bracelet from her wrist and toss it in the trash. “So, how are you, sis? Is everything good?” I’m fishing to see if Harrison did confess, and maybe she’s totally okay with it, like the bracelet made it all better.
“What do you want? You’re freaking me out.”
She’s on to me.
“I don’t want anything. Can’t I just be nice to you?”
“No, that’s not how we roll, remember?” She laughs, and I wince a little. She seems happy, and my desire to throttle Harrison grows.
“Right. Okay, then,” I say. “Are you planning on auditioning for Jersey Shore, because that hair would fit right in?”
“God, I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say and throw a grape at her. She catches it and pops it in her mouth.
“So, Maria, huh?”
“Yep.”
She looks surprised. “Is it serious?”
“It is for me.”
“Oh, come on. You’re kidding, right?”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“No, well, kind of. I mean … she’s a hooker!”
I inhale through my nose. I know people will judge the relationship, but our family isn’t in a position to do so.
“She used to be, and we’re hardly pillars of purity, sis.”
“I know that, but how will that look? What will people think?”
She sounds so much like our mother. I avoid pointing that out, since I don’t want to hurt her, and I know worrying about appearances is ingrained deep in all of us.
“You know what? I really don’t give a shit. I’m done pleasing other people. Maybe you should give it a try.” Starting with your spineless boyfriend.
“I don’t know why I talk to you. Fuck off,” she shouts, and storms toward the sliding glass door.
“Glad we’re back to ‘rolling’ accordingly.”
She growls at me and goes outside. So much for not hurting her.
Maria and Tori come inside, laughing like old friends. Tori sets a bowl on the counter and goes to the fridge.
