wrinkled her nose. “I don't want steak.”
“No?” Abby's mom frowned. “You love steak.”
“It sounds disgusting.” She rifled through more pages.
“Okay.” Abby's mom thought for a minute. “What about Papa Italian's?”
“I don't know,” Annika answered. “Nothing really sounds good.”
“Well, maybe you should just stay here,” I said, a little harsher than I'd intended.
Abby reached for my hand and squeezed.
“What do you want to eat?” her dad asked. He'd found a bottle of aloe and was gingerly dabbing it on his fried skin.
“I don't know.” Annika looked at the ceiling as if the answer might be written up there.
They all waited and I bit my tongue so I wouldn't mouth off. She was acting like a spoiled child, dissing their suggestions and I wanted nothing more than to call her out on it. But before I could open my mouth, Abby threaded her fingers through mine and pulled me down the hall.
“What?” I asked. “Where are we going?”
“Away from my sister,” she told me.
“For good?”
“No. For now.” She pulled me into the bedroom I was sleeping in but didn't close the door.
“Dammit.”
She sank down on the bed. Her cover-up rode up a little on her legs, exposing an eyeful of tanned skin and I was instantly turned back on. “We need to talk.”
“About how much I want to have sex with you? Excellent.”
She grinned and rolled her eyes. “Uh. No. About my sister.”
I didn't respond and she said, “Look, she's here for the week. It's a done deal. And I will definitely try but I'm not sure how successful I'm gonna be with keeping you guys away from each other.”
“I have faith in you.”
“That's not the point.” She found a loose thread on the comforter and pulled at it. “It's just...I've forgiven her. As much as I can, I mean.”
“I know. And I'm glad.” I wasn't just saying that. I really was glad that she'd been able to forgive and try to move on. But I didn't operate like that. I didn't do it with my dad and I sure as shit wasn't going to do it with Annika.”
“But...” her voice trailed off and I waited. She looked back at me and I was surprised to see that her eyes were wet. “But it's kinda hard when you won't.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
A tear trickled down her cheek and she brushed it away. “Because,” she said. “Because I see how much it still upsets you and it takes me right back to that night. To both of those nights. The night you told me about what had happened...and the night she was with you. And I know I wasn't there, I get that. But I start imagining it in my head and it just...it messes with my head, you know?”
I sank down beside her on the bed and gathered her in my arms. I felt like a complete asshole.
“Okay,” I whispered, my lips on her hair.
“Okay what?”
“Okay,” I repeated. “I'll...forgive.” I choked on the word, like someone had just shoved a handful of dog shit in my mouth. It was the last thing I wanted to do but I couldn't stand to see Abby hurting. Upset. I would do anything to make her feel better. Including forgiving her bitch of a sister.
She pulled back a little so she could look at me. “Just like that?”
I nodded. “Yep. Done.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Well, that was...easy. I'm not sure I believe you. Bet you're just saying it. To pacify me.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Nope.”
“Why all of a sudden? Why now?”
Because you cried over it, I thought. Because it's wrecking you. Because there isn't anything I wouldn't do to make you happy.
“Probably the heat,” I told her instead. “I'm delusional.”
She snuggled next to me, fitting her body into my arms. I held her tight, breathed in the scent of her. The sunscreen, the chlorine, the lingering smell of her shampoo. All of it. There was nothing I wanted to do except hold her in my arms.
“We're getting sushi.”
I stiffened.
Annika stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.
“No?” Abby's mom frowned. “You love steak.”
“It sounds disgusting.” She rifled through more pages.
“Okay.” Abby's mom thought for a minute. “What about Papa Italian's?”
“I don't know,” Annika answered. “Nothing really sounds good.”
“Well, maybe you should just stay here,” I said, a little harsher than I'd intended.
Abby reached for my hand and squeezed.
“What do you want to eat?” her dad asked. He'd found a bottle of aloe and was gingerly dabbing it on his fried skin.
“I don't know.” Annika looked at the ceiling as if the answer might be written up there.
They all waited and I bit my tongue so I wouldn't mouth off. She was acting like a spoiled child, dissing their suggestions and I wanted nothing more than to call her out on it. But before I could open my mouth, Abby threaded her fingers through mine and pulled me down the hall.
“What?” I asked. “Where are we going?”
“Away from my sister,” she told me.
“For good?”
“No. For now.” She pulled me into the bedroom I was sleeping in but didn't close the door.
“Dammit.”
She sank down on the bed. Her cover-up rode up a little on her legs, exposing an eyeful of tanned skin and I was instantly turned back on. “We need to talk.”
“About how much I want to have sex with you? Excellent.”
She grinned and rolled her eyes. “Uh. No. About my sister.”
I didn't respond and she said, “Look, she's here for the week. It's a done deal. And I will definitely try but I'm not sure how successful I'm gonna be with keeping you guys away from each other.”
“I have faith in you.”
“That's not the point.” She found a loose thread on the comforter and pulled at it. “It's just...I've forgiven her. As much as I can, I mean.”
“I know. And I'm glad.” I wasn't just saying that. I really was glad that she'd been able to forgive and try to move on. But I didn't operate like that. I didn't do it with my dad and I sure as shit wasn't going to do it with Annika.”
“But...” her voice trailed off and I waited. She looked back at me and I was surprised to see that her eyes were wet. “But it's kinda hard when you won't.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
A tear trickled down her cheek and she brushed it away. “Because,” she said. “Because I see how much it still upsets you and it takes me right back to that night. To both of those nights. The night you told me about what had happened...and the night she was with you. And I know I wasn't there, I get that. But I start imagining it in my head and it just...it messes with my head, you know?”
I sank down beside her on the bed and gathered her in my arms. I felt like a complete asshole.
“Okay,” I whispered, my lips on her hair.
“Okay what?”
“Okay,” I repeated. “I'll...forgive.” I choked on the word, like someone had just shoved a handful of dog shit in my mouth. It was the last thing I wanted to do but I couldn't stand to see Abby hurting. Upset. I would do anything to make her feel better. Including forgiving her bitch of a sister.
She pulled back a little so she could look at me. “Just like that?”
I nodded. “Yep. Done.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Well, that was...easy. I'm not sure I believe you. Bet you're just saying it. To pacify me.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Nope.”
“Why all of a sudden? Why now?”
Because you cried over it, I thought. Because it's wrecking you. Because there isn't anything I wouldn't do to make you happy.
“Probably the heat,” I told her instead. “I'm delusional.”
She snuggled next to me, fitting her body into my arms. I held her tight, breathed in the scent of her. The sunscreen, the chlorine, the lingering smell of her shampoo. All of it. There was nothing I wanted to do except hold her in my arms.
“We're getting sushi.”
I stiffened.
Annika stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.
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