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Someone chokes on a cough behind me. I turn to find my sister slamming her fist against her chest.
“Lily.” My eyes stretch to their maximum width.
Julian trips over his own feet in his rush to get away, which only makes Lily burst out into laughter.
“I knew something weird was going on when Mom said Julian was coming over to help. I’ve been trying to catch you in the act all afternoon.”
“Now I understand your hourly need to taste-test everything.”
She grins while Julian remains silent and brooding.
She gestures to us. “How long have you two been together?”
“We’re not,” I rush to answer.
The veins in Julian’s arms strain from how hard he crosses them.
Lily raises a brow.
“At least not like that,” I finish.
“Hm.” She glances over at Julian. “Interesting.”
“I’ll let you two talk this one out…” He speaks to my sister rather than me.
“Take me with you?” I reach out for him, but he sidesteps me.
Julian disappears behind the swinging door leading into our living room.
“Tell me everything,” Lily says before I have a chance to consider the weird look on his face.
“Not here.” I grab her hand, tug her outside, and shut the door behind us. Fresh snow covers every inch of the porch like a white blanket.
“It’s freezing out here!” she whines as she rubs her arms.
“Then we better make this fast.”
“Why are we talking out here anyway?”
“I don’t want Mom to walk in on us or something.”
“Does she know?”
“Vaguely.”
My sister frowns. “I’m insulted you didn’t come to me first.”
“We didn’t want anyone to know about our arrangement.”
“A little too late for that, so spill.”
“There isn’t much to share. We agreed to keep things casual.”
“Did that seem casual to you? Because it sure didn’t look like it to me.”
It sure didn’tfeellike it either, but I can barely admit it to myself, let alone Lily.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “We were talking.”
