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“What did he say?” Jesse asks.
“Obviously, he was all in once he saw her,” Garrett says.
I can’t help my grin at her matter-of-fact tone. “Obviously.”
“So why is Winnie mad? That sounds awesome.”
I pause, trying to think of a way to say it without actually saying it, because while I’ve come to realize Garrett and Jesse are her reason for saying no, she’d never in a million years want them to feel that way.
But also, maybe they need to know that? Why is she the only one making sacrifices? Maybe she should accept help? This is definitely not my decision to make, though.
“Fuck,” Jesse says before I’ve come to a decision. “I know.”
“Jesse!” Garrett’s eyes are wide.
He looks at his younger sister, his expression chagrined. “Winnie won’t leave us. She promised she wouldn’t leave.” He turns to me. “She’d have to tour around to compete, right?”
I raise my head and dip it once, slowly.
Jesse slumps. “Our dad sucks,” he says and raises a hand togesture at the closed front door. “As you can probably tell. And we don’t have a mom. Well, technically, we do somewhere, but hell if we knowwhere. And, um, I was cutting school a lot. I stopped!” he insists at my raised brows. “But it’s only been a few weeks and the school told Winnie they would have to call the police and the police means CPS and so Winnie was thinking she might have to file for guardianship if that happened to keep us together. In conclusion, this is my fault.”
Garrett glares at him and looks so much like Winnie I almost laugh. “It sure is.”
His face is so pale and stricken. I’m struck with a pang of sympathy. The kid is fourteen, after all. I made a lot of shitty choices at fourteen. Hell, I make them at nineteen.
“Regardless,” I say. “She’s mad at me, not you.Neverat you. Okay? And your sister is a grown woman who can make her own decisions.”
“So she’s upset because you tried to help?” Jesse asks finally, his brows scrunching.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t see it as helping,” I explain wryly. “More like steamrolling her and offering her impossible choices my rich-kid brain can’t even comprehend. To be honest with you, I messed up. To be extra honest with you, I keep messing up. I want to be her friend, but I’m not very good at it.”
Something indiscernible dances in Garrett’s eyes, and it makes me fiddle with the collar of my shirt. The trailer is feeling a littletoowarm and cozy all of a sudden.
Jesse studies me again. “Just her friend?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah.” What temperature does Winnie have this place set at?
“Whatever you have to tell yourself,” he says finally. “You know, I was there when you jumped in that pool buck naked.”
I choke on air. “Yeah?”
He smirks, somehow knowing he has me by the balls. “Yeah. It was awesome.”
I work at not looking at Garrett. “I wouldn’t say that. It was cold. And I could have drowned. You should never go swimming after drinking. Not that you should drink in the first place, since you’re way underage, but if you do…” I trail off, feeling extremely uncomfortable. “Anyway,” I say loudly, straightening. “Now you can see why maybe it’s best I go. I’ve done plenty of damage for one night. You guys can pass on the coat and let her know I came by.”
“Not a chance,” Jesse says. “I want to see her reaction to your being here.”
I wince. “I don’t need to ruin her night.” To Garrett, I say, “Besides you have a movie date, right? And pizza.”
“Movie date can be tomorrow. I agree with Jesse. Besides, you owe us. You made her mad, so you should be the one to make her happy.”
“How?” I choke out. “I’m a disaster at this.”
Garrett is beaming. “Keep trying.”
SixteenCASE
We don’t have to wait long for Winnie to show up, two hot pizzas in hand. She doesn’t seem surprised by my presence at her table, likely because she saw my SUV in the drive, but that doesn’t keep her from scowling at me.
