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Rachel bobbed her head slowly, biting the corner of her lip in thought. “So, have you gotten any…crazy clients lately?”
I practically hiccupped on the breath I tried to draw in. “Not really. Things have been pretty slow after the baby announcement.”
There. I played it cool, I was sure of it. In the mirror, I saw Rachel fold her arms across her chest. From the stiff line of her posture, it was clear something was bothering her, but I waited it out, let her work it through first. “I’m worried about Reed.”
“Why?”
“He’s been acting different lately.” She was quiet for a long moment. “He takes late night walks sometimes. Which is weird, because he’s never done that before. I don’t know why, but sometimes he won’t come home until after midnight.”
Even though I hadn’t been moving before she spoke, I stilled. The other day, when I saw him leaving his house—was that what he’d been doing? Sneaking out to go on a late walk?Why?
“And…it’s weird that he quit the football team without telling me or mom about it. That he practiced all summer and then never showed for the games. That’s not normal for him. I’ve asked him about it, but he brushes it off.”
The exact expression Reed wore when he told me that he hated football was practically burned into my memory, and I thought of it now. Him hating football didn’t make much sense, but him not talking to Rachel about it was even more confusing. They weren’t the closest of siblings, despite their twinship, but I would’ve thought that something that major would’ve warranted at least a brief convo. “Maybe he just wants to do something different for his senior year. Maybe he feels freaked out by it being our last year, too.”
Her voice dropped to a near whisper, almost like she didn’t want to be overheard. “I think Dad cheating really affected him. I think that’s why he’s dating around and never settling with someone for long.”
“Wearein high school,” I pointed out, this conversation inching into strange territory. It made my skin itch. “Long-term relationships are rare.” And not even that realistic.
Rachel leaned against the edge of the sink, but still didn’t look at me. Almost like everything would be all right as long as we didn’t make eye contact. She could hold it all in as long as she didn’t look. “Sometimes I think…”
“What?”
“I think…” And then she stopped. Blinked. I saw the resolution settle over her, the thought ofnever mindslide across her expression. She gave her head a shake and attempted at a bright smile, finally looking over at me. Her brown eyes were shining. “I think you’re right about us being in high school. Reed’s no different than Ashton or Collin or any other senior at Brentwood. Dating around, I mean.”
I chewed on the side of my cheek, wishing I had the right thing to say to her. I’d never had this issue before, blanking on words of comfort. It was usually my job in our friendship, but when it came to her brother, I was afraid something I’d say would soundtooconcerned, and it left me silent. But it was clear it weighed on her, and for some reason, she didn’t want to splurge on all the details.
So, I reached for her cell again, offering it to her. “Should we ask Josh if he wants to meet at the Wallflower for lunch?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Should we?”
Getting out of the house to meet Josh would lift her spirits, for sure. I nodded, turning to my reflection. “Once it’s time to wash this out, we should go.”
And the suggestion did the trick. Her eyes lit up, and she clutched her phone with a tight urgency. “I’ll text him then pick out an outfit for you. Ah, this is perfect! I’m sure he’d totally be down for a date.”
I started to nod when her words actually hit me. “Wait, adate?” I demanded, but Rachel opened her bedroom door and disappeared, leaving me staring after her.
When I’d offered us to meet at Wallflower, I definitely meant for Rachel to tag along. I didn’t mean this as a date. Him and I, us two,alone, date. Didn’t want that at all. But here I was, wearing one of Rachel’s sundresses that was too long on me, walking into Wallflower without Rachel by my side.
Chill, Ava, I’d told myself.Treat it like you’re out to dinner with Rachel.
I had found Josh easily in the sea of filled booths and tables, all because of the brightly printed Hawaiian shirt he wore. A sweet ballad played over the antique jukebox in the corner, though it was barely audible over the sound of conversation and forks scraping against plates. He’d managed to snag a seat against the wall during rush hour, and he’d lifted his blonde head as soon as the door chimed, lifting an arm into the air. His grin had been easy, dimples and all.
From there, it was clear to see I’d worried for nothing.
“Okay, I think it’s ready.” Josh leaned back into his seat now, dusting his hands and gesturing toward the spread in front of us. “It’s ready for us to dig in.”
A bowl of mac-and-cheese ordered with a side of chicken tenders, which he cut up into fine chunks. He mixed it into the macaroni, and even though that alone sounded weird, he threatened to ruin it entirely.
He ordered a fried egg on top.
“Thiscan’tbe good,” I muttered, staring at the mixture with a warring sense of disgust and anticipation. “I can’t imagine it tasting good.”
“Trust me, it’s life-changing.” He gestured to it. “Try it. You’ll be amazed.”
I stared at the lines of hot sauce across the top, and at the oozing fried egg mixing with the cheesy macaroni. The chicken—that made it bearable. “You better be right,” I told him, picking up my fork and rubbing my napkin across it. “I’ve been promised life-changing, and I am expecting life-changing.”
Josh swiped up his fork, too. “Make sure you get everything in one bite. Mac, chicken, egg, hot sauce—the whole shebang.”
