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Authors: T. B. Markinson
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must be hard-up for stories right now.”
“Well, I hang out with your father. I’m in a drought.”
“ Touché .”
“Actually, I’m surprised your father sets out his own trash. Peter would never do that.”
“Mom always wanted servants, but my father has always refused. He grew up poor. He’s cognizant of his upbringing. Of course, he did concede to having a nanny, but I always wondered whether he just wanted to ensure we would survive our childhood. Mom wasn’t the nurturing kind, if you know what I mean.”
We sat in silence for some moments. Then Maddie asked, “Is that why you hate your family so much?”
I set down my knife and fork and watched the light drizzle outside slide down the window. “You know, Maddie, at one point I could give you a whole laundry list of why. But all of the memories are fading. To be honest, I can’t pinpoint the reason I decided to go my own way. At one point, I had a reason, or reasons. Now it’s just more of a feeling. Whenever I’m around them, I don’t like them.”
“Is that why you never told them you’re sick?” She took one of the flowers out of the vase on the table and smelled it.
“I never even thought about telling them. No one likes to hear about other people’s troubles. Even Sarah tunes out when I mention feeling ill. I figured that they would care even less. At least Sarah loves me.”
Maddie sipped her wine, her eyes on the busboy who was clearing the table next to us.
We sat in silence again. Maddie seemed to be mulling something over.
“That settles it. Peter is picking up this check.” She pulled out a credit card and set it on the edge of the table.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m tired of the bastard not caring.”
I could tell the wine was kicking in. Although I wanted to push her on her declaration, I was torn about doing so. Were my intentions to help a friend? Or were they to drive a wedge between my brother and his incredibly gorgeous fiancée? I sat silently while she, or Peter rather, settled the tab.
Before we left, Maddie handed me the flower she had confiscated earlier and patted my cheek tenderly.
* * *
Later that night, I was on the couch with Sarah, watching one of her stupid comedies. I had never been an Adam Sandler fan, or a fan of movies like that, but Sarah loved them, so I agreed to watch one with her. She was stretched out in front of me, my arm wrapped around her stomach. I felt her touch my wrist.
“What’s that?”
I looked down at what she was touching—the bracelet Maddie had given me.
“Oh, I was cleaning out a box in my closet and I found this bracelet I used to wear during high school.”
She fidgeted with it a little, and then said, “It looks weird. Is it a chain of some sort?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve always liked it, so I put it on.” I shrugged and turned my attention back to the movie.
That was that. I didn’t know that lying to my girlfriend would come so easily, and without regret. I reached for a handful of popcorn and ate it. Sarah didn’t suspect anything odd. She snuggled even closer. I squeezed her waist and kissed the back of her head.
Chapter Eight
“She gave you what?” Ethan choked on his coffee.
“Ethan, don’t be so dramatic. You can see with your own eyes.”
He reached out and stroked the bracelet, as if he thought it would disappear at his touch. “I can’t believe it. Why would she give you a piece of jewelry? You don’t give jewelry to someone you barely know. What do you think it means?”
“Come on, Ethan. Focus here. I’m telling you that I lied to my girlfriend. That’s the issue right now. I lied, and I didn’t feel bad about it. Right after I lied, I held her tight and kissed her head, as if I felt closer to her. That is the issue; not that Maddie gave me this.” I shook my wrist.
“But what does it mean that you’re wearing it, and you lied ! You lied to Sarah!” His eyes grew big behind his glasses. He waggled his
“Well, I hang out with your father. I’m in a drought.”
“ Touché .”
“Actually, I’m surprised your father sets out his own trash. Peter would never do that.”
“Mom always wanted servants, but my father has always refused. He grew up poor. He’s cognizant of his upbringing. Of course, he did concede to having a nanny, but I always wondered whether he just wanted to ensure we would survive our childhood. Mom wasn’t the nurturing kind, if you know what I mean.”
We sat in silence for some moments. Then Maddie asked, “Is that why you hate your family so much?”
I set down my knife and fork and watched the light drizzle outside slide down the window. “You know, Maddie, at one point I could give you a whole laundry list of why. But all of the memories are fading. To be honest, I can’t pinpoint the reason I decided to go my own way. At one point, I had a reason, or reasons. Now it’s just more of a feeling. Whenever I’m around them, I don’t like them.”
“Is that why you never told them you’re sick?” She took one of the flowers out of the vase on the table and smelled it.
“I never even thought about telling them. No one likes to hear about other people’s troubles. Even Sarah tunes out when I mention feeling ill. I figured that they would care even less. At least Sarah loves me.”
Maddie sipped her wine, her eyes on the busboy who was clearing the table next to us.
We sat in silence again. Maddie seemed to be mulling something over.
“That settles it. Peter is picking up this check.” She pulled out a credit card and set it on the edge of the table.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m tired of the bastard not caring.”
I could tell the wine was kicking in. Although I wanted to push her on her declaration, I was torn about doing so. Were my intentions to help a friend? Or were they to drive a wedge between my brother and his incredibly gorgeous fiancée? I sat silently while she, or Peter rather, settled the tab.
Before we left, Maddie handed me the flower she had confiscated earlier and patted my cheek tenderly.
* * *
Later that night, I was on the couch with Sarah, watching one of her stupid comedies. I had never been an Adam Sandler fan, or a fan of movies like that, but Sarah loved them, so I agreed to watch one with her. She was stretched out in front of me, my arm wrapped around her stomach. I felt her touch my wrist.
“What’s that?”
I looked down at what she was touching—the bracelet Maddie had given me.
“Oh, I was cleaning out a box in my closet and I found this bracelet I used to wear during high school.”
She fidgeted with it a little, and then said, “It looks weird. Is it a chain of some sort?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve always liked it, so I put it on.” I shrugged and turned my attention back to the movie.
That was that. I didn’t know that lying to my girlfriend would come so easily, and without regret. I reached for a handful of popcorn and ate it. Sarah didn’t suspect anything odd. She snuggled even closer. I squeezed her waist and kissed the back of her head.
Chapter Eight
“She gave you what?” Ethan choked on his coffee.
“Ethan, don’t be so dramatic. You can see with your own eyes.”
He reached out and stroked the bracelet, as if he thought it would disappear at his touch. “I can’t believe it. Why would she give you a piece of jewelry? You don’t give jewelry to someone you barely know. What do you think it means?”
“Come on, Ethan. Focus here. I’m telling you that I lied to my girlfriend. That’s the issue right now. I lied, and I didn’t feel bad about it. Right after I lied, I held her tight and kissed her head, as if I felt closer to her. That is the issue; not that Maddie gave me this.” I shook my wrist.
“But what does it mean that you’re wearing it, and you lied ! You lied to Sarah!” His eyes grew big behind his glasses. He waggled his
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