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I couldn’t face Sean, not right then. I turned to leave before they saw me. I’d go down the street to Penny’s office and wait for her.
“Hey, Sav,” Sean said.
I pretended I didn’t hear him, but he caught up before I reached the front door. He cupped my face like I was a little kid. “Hey,” he said. He looked me over, and I realized what I mess I must have been, my nose and eyes probably red from crying. “What’s wrong, sis?”
“Oh, nothing,” I said, trying to act casual and hating how nervous and unsure I sounded. “One of those days, you know? Women and our hormones, right?” I tried to laugh, but it came out more like a nervous sob.
“This looks like more than that.” He pulled me into a tight hug. “What’s going on?”
I almost bawled on his shoulder.
It felt so good for Sean to hug me like that, and his concerned touched me. But I held it together and sniffed loudly. “You really do not want to hear my PMS complaints, big bro.”
“Sav.” He clearly wasn’t buying it.
“Sean, I’m okay. But thanks for the hug. I needed it.” I pulled free and stepped back.
His hands were still on my arms. “Anytime. You need another one, you tell me, alright?”
I chuckled and nodded.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where Chris is, would you?” he said.
“Sean.” Grampa sounded tense. The word came out like a warning.
My stomach dropped.
Seanknew. He knew something was going on between us.
I glanced away. “I don’t know.”
“Really? I’d be surprised if that were true.”
“SeanSparks,” Grampa said from the register.
“I think he had some meetings planned for today,” I said weakly. At least that was true. But I could tell the look in Sean’s eyes, he knew. Maybe that was why he and Grampa looked like they were at odds when I walked in.
“I really need to have a chat with him.” He sounded furious now. “He and I needed to have a talk yesterday.”
There was no point in lying about it anymore. “Sean—”
“Does he have anything to do with this?” he asked, gesturing at my face. “Did he make you cry?”
“What? No.” But I felt my chin quiver, so my answer was hardly going to be convincing.
“See?” he asked Grampa, turning to him. “This is why. This is what I was talking about.”
“Sean, listen to—”
“Sean,” Grampa said, his voice stern. “He’s been your best friend your entire life. He’s like a part of this family.”
“I know, Grampa. I love Chris. Butthis is my sister.”
Grampa came from behind the counter while he said, “And she’s been happier over the last several weeks than she has been in years. Chris has been happier too. But you’ve been too busy to notice. He’s changed, Sean.”
“Wait, you knew about this?” Chris still held one of my arms and gestured at me with his other hand. “You let this go on, when you knew what kind of a player Chris has always been? She should never have—"
“Stop talking about me like I’m not here!” I said. I put a hand over my face and tried not to sob, but I couldn’t stop the tears.
