Page 32 of Tech

Pathetic right?

James has messaged and called so many times that I had to turn my phone on silent—heck, I even had a call from his dad. I didn't answer; I was knee-deep in a pregnant cow, but he did leave a message expressing how his son didn't kiss the girl back.

Apparently, she's his high school ex, and he was only with her because of his mother.

According to his dad's message, he's never slept with her, and the last time he kissed her was when he was sixteen, right before finding her screwing our English teacher, Ms. Hall’s, husband.

That is an image no one ever wants, especially when I've met the man: mid-forties, beer gut, bald patches, and only five-feet-five-inches.

I shudder at the thought.

"Hey, did I miss anything?"

I turn and smile, looking at Sarah, who passes me a to-go cup, making my smile turn into a grin.

I really appreciate her being here for Josy despite the pain she has gone through with losing her own sister. I know Josy appreciates it.

Momma was hoping Josy would go into dance like I did as a child, but instead, my little sister wanted to swim. Today is a tournament, and Josy is nervous. Momma and Daddy were too busy with the harvest, so Sarah said she'd tag along. She's become a good friend since James introduced us.

I shake my head and answer, "Not yet, though you did miss one of the other girls from the opposing team put her friend's swim cap on her wrong."

Sarah sits down, pushing her curly, blonde hair out of her face.

She scrunches her button nose and asks, "How on earth can someone put a swim cap on wrong?"

I smirk, take a sip of the coffee she's just handed me, and comment, "The girl had let go of the cap at a distance from the other girl's head, and the edges smacked down on the poor girl's eyes. She screamed in pain before falling into the pool." Sarah's green eyes widened in shock, and I nodded. "A big fight broke out when she managed to climb out of the pool. Apparently, the girl who did the damage, accused her of stealing her dress or something for their dance, and another girl came forward and admitted to taking it because apparently it was hers first, and then they started to fight. It took three adults to separate them."

Sarah blinks a few times before snorting out a laugh, and I grin because, yeah, that shit was funny.

I shake my head, and look toward my sister again. Her smile is wide as she moves her hands in front of her as she talks to her friend. Unlike me at her age, she fits in perfectly.

"Is he coming?" Sarah asks, not so subtly, after a few minutes of silence.

I don't need to ask who.

I shake my head. "Josy spoke to him this morning; he's had to go out on club business, which he normally doesn't do. She understood."

Does knowing he's still in contact with my siblings make my heart flutter? Yes, yes, it does, but I'm choosing to ignore it like the rational person I am.

Sarah hums and asks, "And you? Did you understand?"

I look at her and smile a little. "Yeah, I did. The club is his life, and he made sure to tell Josy he wouldn’t be here, instead of just not showing up. It was a last-minute thing, or well, that's what Josy said anyway, and he put her feelings first. You have to admire that."

Sarah nods, her eyes going to Josy. "But you wish you didn't admire it."

I huff out a laugh, hating she can read me like a flipping book, and look back to Josy.

"Some days I do, some days I don't. I love him, Sarah. It's not something I thought would happen to me. I've always been closed off, and honestly, I have no idea where my irrational fears of relying on someone come from. Daddy loves Momma more than words can say, yet I'm scared to get hurt."

I take a sip of my coffee and Sarah hums again, pointing out, "And yet you gave Tech a chance."

I nod. "I did. I gave him my heart." I shake my head. "I think about him every day. I think about our time together. From our first ride on his bike, when we bumped into each other at Devil's Rose bar after Daddy set me up on the crappy date?—"

Sarah cuts in, "Which I still think is weird, that your father did stuff like that."

I smile and state, "That's because my father is weird." She laughs. I sigh. "I keep going over every second we were together, even the days when I just sat in his room at the club when he worked on his computer. Little by little, day by day, he dug himself into my soul, so seeing what I saw…." I squeeze my eyes shut—his lips on hers flashing to me—and I open my eyes again, looking at my sister as she gets ready to take her place on the starting block. I whisper, "I feel like I can't breathe without him, but seeing his lips on hers broke me…."

Sarah grips my hand. "He didn't kiss her, Brook. You walked in on a trap set by his mother and ex."

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