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I stop at my little sister's door. Natty has remained in her room, and besides a short glimpse on my way down, I haven't seen her since before school on Friday.
We sit on her bed while she scans me up and down. All my injuries are covered, but it’s as if she can see right through Rhys’s t-shirt.
"Are you okay?" my observant little sister inquires. I'm growing tired of the question, but she's not the one I'd let my frustration out on. They are all worried, but I'm over talking about it.
"I am. It’s not that bad." I smile at her.
"You’re not supposed to lie," Natty scolds.
What is it with the McGuires and their built-in lie detectors?
I try a different approach. "I know, baby girl. I just don't think I need to unload my, uh...stuff on you."
"You could, though. I'm your sister."
Needles prick at the back of my throat. Her words bring the first tears since the attack to my eyes. "Yes, you are."
I swipe with my index finger under my eye and motion for Natty to lie down on my lap. Her face lights up, and genuine happiness settles in my chest. We used to do this when she was a little girl. Natty would lie down in my lap, and I would comb her hair with my fingers. We haven't spent time together like this since it all started, and I swallow hard over the guilt.
"Tell me about your newest book," I say after she gets comfortable on my thighs. I don't have to ask if there is a new book. Natty always reads.
That's where Rhys finds me twenty minutes later. He leans against the doorframe, watching us with his arms crossed over his chest as Natty talks about a new series she discovered. The books play out in Virginia and follow two brothers solving mysteries.
Rhys locks eyes with me and mouths, "I'll wait in your room."
I nod my head in confirmation and focus back on the girl on my lap.
