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Reese breaks my grip by giving me what we lovingly refer to as a “sack tap,” which means he slaps me in the balls.
“Ow, you little bitch-bastard!”
“Look who’s talking!” Reese dances around me with his fists up like an old-timey pugilist. Unfortunately for him, his heel comes down in a puddle, and he slips and falls on his ass.
I laugh at him, while also groaning with my hands cupping my balls.
He laughs at me from the floor. “Hope you didn’t want kids.”
Theo shakes her head at the pair of us. “I don’t understand siblings.”
23
SULLY
Despite Reese’s guilt trip, I wake up Sunday morning determined to keep Theo for at least a couple more days.
I make the strategic decision to order a shit ton of groceries to be delivered bright and early in the morning—all her favorite things, plus a whole bevy of tempting new ingredients.
Theo unpacks the bags like it’s Christmas morning.
“Where did you find rambutan? And look at these raspberries! They’re practically the size of a plum!”
Theo holds up a palm full of raspberries that have got to be modified with at least one gene taken from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I grin. “What should we make for dinner? Do you want to experiment with some more diner dishes? I got some bison meat; I thought it might be cool to try a gourmet burger or some kind of twist on a meatloaf?—“
Theo beams at me. “Or an open-faced sandwich! I have this incredible recipe for a vinegar-based barbecue sauce…”
I never thought I’d be anything better than dismal at cooking, but Theo’s an excellent teacher. With her help, I actuallywhipped up a pretty passable guacamole on fajita night. Even my dad managed to grill the carne asada without burning it.
Theo makes food fun, and she never takes it too seriously—when I fuck something up, she manages to make it edible again, or she chucks it in the trash, shrugging and saying, “Now we know what doesn’t work.”
As she’s neatly slotting the groceries into the fridge, she gives me a shy glance. “You really think I should stay a few more days?”
“You’d be doing me a huge favor if you did. It’s really been helping my dad, all these meals together…”
That’s true even if it’s not the only reason I want her to stay. Or even the one that matters to me most.
“Is Reese okay with it?” Theo bites her lip. “He’d probably rather have his own space?—”
“He’s got half the goddamn house! He can’t even hear us from over there. Not that there’s anything to hear.”
Theo gives me a swift look. I didn’t visit her room last night, and she didn’t visit mine.
I stayed in bed out of guilt.
Theo might have been worried about Reese—or maybe she just didn’t want to come.
“Trust me,” I say. “He likes having you here. We all do.”
“Okay.” Theo’s face relaxes. “I’ll stay a couple more days.”
The elation I feel is so swift and overwhelming, it’s a little frightening. I shouldn’t be this excited.
And yet, I find myself saying, “What are your plans for today? For once, I don’t have a single appointment….”
“Angus is in Bali,” Theo says, smiling. “Which means I’m also completely free and unoccupied.”
