Page 126 of Wanted Beta

“I’ll get you some painkillers.”

“I don’t have any left,” she admits.

“You’ve already had some?”

“No. I ran out on my last period. I just forgot until this morning.”

“I have some,” I tell her, opening my purse and digging around.

I find the half-full pack and pass it to her. “You can keep those. I have more in my backpack.”

“Thanks,” she mumbles.

I pick up her water and pass it to her when she’s ready to take the pills.

“You’d make a good nurse.”

I shake my head. “Are you kidding me? I’d never remember half the words for the medications and equipment they need to use.”

“I meant you’re a good sister,” she clarifies. “Looking after me when I’m the one who’s supposed to be looking after you.”

“I’m fine,” I tell her, feeling like I mean it this time.

I might have been covering up my pain with Gio to begin with, but I can see now that letting it out was what made me feel better. I shouldn’t shut Catherine out of that. She was quick to say yes when I asked her for help, and she’s been trying to get me to open up since I got here.

“I feel better after talking to my friends. I think it’s what I needed. I know I shouldn’t feel bad about myself for what happened,” I admit. “I still kind of do, but not as much. I know it wasn’t my fault.”

“It wasn’t,” she confirms. “And I’m glad your friends helped you to see that.”

“Me too. Do you need anything else?”

“I think I have everything I need,” she says, smiling as she dips her hand into the chip bag.

“I’ll be in my room studying.”

“You’re not thinking about going back to school?”

“Not yet. I just want to be prepared for when I do.”

“Okay.”

I leave her to nurse her hangover with my junk food, only feeling a little guilty that I didn’t tell her the whole truth. I’ll tell her once I know. Right now, I can barely make myself believe I have a check in my purse for a job I’m not qualified for, but that I’m insanely excited about.

It’s not quite the same thing as building and running my own restaurant from the ground up, but it’s close enough. Maybe helping other people do this stuff could become what I do for a living.

I’d probably need to switch to a business degree, and that would mean telling my parents.

The thought of that kills my enthusiasm, just a little.

I can imagine the looks on their faces.

There’s no way in hell they’d support that idea.

I close my bedroom door and put my purse down on the bed.

Taking out my phone, I pick out some music and set it onto the speaker on the nightstand.

The check is sticking out of my purse now, and I realize I didn’t even look when Gio gave me it.

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