“I understand.” She smiles, and it sends flutters to my stomach.
I’ve never had this feeling in my gut before… and I don’t know if I like it.
“Don’t think you got off from answering my questions, though.” I narrow my eyes at her. “I’m not gonna tell you why I don’t dorelationships for you to get off easy and not have to answer the same question. It’s only fair.”
“I think we should end this thing.” She jokes. “We’ve had a fun run.”
“Ha ha.” I roll my eyes. “Seriously, I wanna know. I don’t know, but I feel like knowing will help me understand you better.”
“And you need to understand me, why?”
I throw my towel at her.
“You said it yourself; you have more questions. I won’t answer anymore until you answer one of mine.”
“Fine,” she begins. “I’ll think about it.”
“Whatever.” I pull on my shoes. “If I didn’t have an hour-long drive, I’d get it out with my amazing persuasion skills.”
“Is the hospital back where you used to live?”
“No, actually. It’s about an hour from there, too.”
“Why?”
“Best cancer hospital in Illinois.” She grins. “What?”
“I just thought you weren’t answering any more of my questions.”
“I really hate you sometimes, you know that?”
“No, you don’t.”
I grab my jacket off her dresser. “Has your bedroom always been pink?”
“No, I painted it since the last time you were here.” Her voice is oozing with sarcasm. “You’ve been here a few times and just now noticing my room is pink.”
“I’m usually a little too preoccupied to notice.” I wink.
“Get outta here.” She tosses a pillow at me.
“Alright, alright.” I open her bedroom door and shut it behind me on my way to her front door. Before I leave, I yell back to her, “Don’t miss me too much.”
The laugh I hear as I shut the door plays in my head the whole way to the hospital. I don’t even bother turning on music for the drive.
I don’t need to.
twenty-one
Zeke
How does it feel that your sister is dating someone with the same name as you?” I wonder, finishing off my beer.
I’m mainly trying to distract Declan from getting more points inNHL 17; I think he’s been practicing with Ember. It’s not that he was bad before, but let's just say that his hockey skills are a lot better on the actual ice rather than the animated.
“First of all,” he scores again, “we don’t have the same name. My middle name is Alexander, not my first name, and his first name isjustAlex. Not Alexander. Totally different. And she swears they aren’t dating.”
“She brought him to Halloween,” I respond. “Practically in a couple’s costume.”