After Christmas by Anna Catherine Field

Author:Anna Catherine Field [Field, Anna Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-04T16:00:00+00:00

9

Julian

Little by little, the house comes together. The sale is in three days and although things are chaotic, I don’t feel the same stress as I did when we first started.

“Do you want this?” Collins asks, holding up a roll of wrinkled wrapping paper. Another one of my mother’s favorite things, wrapping paper and cards.

“No,” I say, “trash or sell.”

She studies the paper. “Do you mind if I take them? I’ll pay for them.”

“Take it,” I say, absently.

“Well, we aren’t really supposed to take things from the sale. It’s weird because we’re friends. I really should pay for it.” She hesitates. “How much do you want?”

She’s looking at me expectantly, eyes curious and totally sincere. Her hair is up in a knot on the back of her head and pieces hang down by her ears. A smear of dust crosses her cheek, our hands are coated in it from cleaning out the closet.

She looks cute—more than cute—gorgeous. I haven’t been able get her out of my mind since the night of the skating rink. We’d made a few declarations—cowardly ones. Re-establishing the fact we’re more family than anything else. Quasi-siblings. It was bull, even in that silly cat sweater I’d thought she was the most beautiful girl I knew. Always had been, always will be.

Yet I hadn’t just been friend-zoned. I’d been big-brother-zoned.

The problem is that I’m not okay with that.

“How about you take whatever you want from the house, and you repay me with a bacon and egg biscuit.”

She narrows her eyes. “That doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Well, we can up it, how about a burger at the Dive?”

She hesitates, the old, worthless paper clasped between her fingers. My heart pounds in my chest, I’d pushed it too far. Asked for too much.

She opens her mouth and I wait for the rejection. It’s justified, and I tell myself I won’t push this any further.

“How about a burger and a shake?”

I fight and lose the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. I swear, swear, she’s trying not to smile back.

“Deal. Tonight?”

She nods. “Tonight works.”

We work side by side for a few more minutes, the reality of what we’ve just agreed to settling in. I desperately hope she can’t hear how hard my heart is pounding.

“For the record,” I say, trying to lighten the awkwardness, “I plan on ordering a double cheeseburger with bacon.”

“I expect nothing less.” Without another word she walks out of the room, leaving me and my racing heartbeat by myself. I’d asked Collins out. Sort of. A different set of adrenaline sets in: panic.

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