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I grinned. “So youdothink Nathan’s cute?”
“So?” she shot back. “Just because a man’s got good looks, doesn’t mean he’s good for you, Cici.”
“I know.” I wrapped my arms around her, making sure to keep my dirty hands away from her shoulders. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Lyn. Really.”
She squeezed me back, shooing me away after a moment. “Of course,” she said. “Now can we actually make these cookies so we can watch some mindless teen movies?”
I smiled. “Yes, let’s.”
We worked in tandem, an easy rhythm flowing between us as Brooklyn regaled me with tales from her brief flight and we caught up on the minute details of each other’s lives. Despite the rocky start, I felt my shoulders relax with the knowledge that Brooklyn would be close to home for a little bit. When I’d come into the house earlier, she was arguing with her dad on the phone, and when I asked, she said her grandmother wasn’t doing so well and she might be staying around Hemingway for the next couple of months. Her job was remote, so she was free to work from anywhere.
Though I planned to move to New York if I got into the animation program, that was still a ways away.It will be nice to have Brooklyn here,I thought. Someone who understood me and who could remind me of who I was and provide that grounding.
Once we put the cookies in the oven, we settled in for the movie. As Brooklyn searched for one, I checked my phone. With a start, I realized I had missed a phone call and a few texts from Nathan.
Nathan: Hey. So I spoke to Harold earlier today.
Nathan:He’s suggesting we move in together ASAP. Zeke has been asking questions.
Nathan:Let me know when you’re free to talk about this.
My heart stuttered as I read and reread the text. I knew I was going to have to move in with Nathan eventually—I just didn’t expect it to bethisearly.
“I’ll be right back,” I muttered to Brooklyn.
She nodded, scrolling through the movies. “Okay.”
I shuffled off of the couch and up the stairs to my room, pressing the CALL button next to Nathan’s picture on my phone.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey, Ciara.”
The use of my name and the tiredness in his voice made me stand up straight.This must be serious,I thought.
“Hey,” I said, closing my bedroom door. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Zeke.” He sighed. “Again.”
As he told me what Harold told him, my sense of panic increased tenfold. It sounded like Nathan wanted me to move in with him right away—as in this weekend. My stomach roiled as I thought about what I was going to have to tell my dad, along with breaking the news to Brooklyn. Even though she seemed to think a little better of Nathan, it was a tenuous change, one that could go the other way in an instant if she felt like I was being forced to do something I wasn’t ready for. And my dad…I remembered his face when he found out I was getting married at the courthouse that weekend. How would he feel now that I have to move out so quickly? And what reason would I give?
“This is a lot to take in,” I said when Nathan finished. “Does it have to be this weekend? What will people think? What will my dad and Brooklyn think? Brooklyn doesn’t even know about…” I glanced toward my door, “...Our courthouse wedding. Besides, we’re already married on paper; why do we have to move in together, too?”
“Because it looks strange for us to be married and live so close to each other, andnotbe living together,” he countered. “People will wonder what we’re waiting for. Zeke is probably already planting seeds about that.”
“But we haven’t had our big wedding,” I insisted. “Couldn’t the move just wait until then?”
“Maybe, but why even take that risk when we can make Zeke look like an idiot for starting these rumors in the first place?” Nathan sighed. “Look, Ciara, I know this is a lot to dump on you all at once, and I’m sorry to do this. But if we want this marriage to seem as legit as possible, and we want to get Zeke off our backs, this is the best way to do it.”
“Okay.” I flopped back on my bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling. “Okay. So we pack up my stuff and move it tomorrow, then?”
“Yes.” Nathan sounded relieved. “Preferably. Or maybe even the next day, if you need more time.”
I grimaced. “Tomorrow, then. I’ll make it happen.”
After we exchanged a few more details, we hung up, and I returned to the living room. Brooklyn had chosen my favorite teen movie—John Tucker Must Die—but I couldn’t even enjoy it. I was too preoccupied with the move.
Halfway through the movie, Brooklyn paused it and turned to me. “What’s wrong? You’re barely even watching this movie, and I know it’s your favorite. Did something happen when you disappeared upstairs?”
I fiddled with the hem of my shirt, not wanting to tell her. “Yes,” I said, stalling.
