Page 7 of Jesse's Girl

“Yeah. Fuck. I obsessed about what’s happening with my mom the entire flight. Need something else to think about.” I bend to dig a bottle of water out of my bag.

“Okay. Well,” he starts, “Kai’s getting married in August. Nadine’s her name. Sweet girl.”

“No shit,” I say, surprised. “Someone wants to marry Kai? Huh.” I take a swig of water and cap the bottle, tucking it back in my bag.

“Yeah.” He smiles. “And Adrian’s in Seattle finishing his master’s.”

“Still political science?” I ask, squinting as I strain to remember what he was studying.

“Yeah. Wants to run for office.”

“God help us,” I laugh, running a hand over my face.

“I know,” he says, shaking his head. “We’re all fucked.”

“What’s Ada doing?”

“Oh, the usual. Railing against the injustices of the world. Making weird art. Getting pissed at Mom and Dad.”

I blow a breath through my nose. “Sounds about right.”

“She’s bartending now at Carnival,” he adds.

“Ada,” I say, my eyes widening. “Like Ada Ada?”

He nods.

“Your baby sister’s bartending?” I can’t picture it.

“She’s twenty-five now, man,” he says with a laugh, glancing at me.

“No, she’s fucking not.”

“It’s true.” He tilts his head. “She traveled for a few years. Went all over Asia and Europe, working until she could afford her next move, y’know?”

“Right, right,” I say, some vague memory forming of Marcus telling me about her travels back when he visited me.

“But she came home last year. She’s been living with… you remember Katie?”

“Katie Chen?”

“Yeah.”

I shrug. “Vaguely. She lived next door to Naomi.”

Marcus lifts his eyebrows in silent acknowledgment of the girl who ripped my heart out.

“Fuck, man,” I say, letting out a breath. “I think the last time I saw Ada, she still had braces.” I run a hand through my hair, trying to imagine all this. “Twenty-five? Are you serious?” Marcus and I are twenty-seven; I know the math checks out, but still…

“Yeah. She’s still a pain in the ass, though,” he mutters, almost to himself.

I arch a brow, remembering how she could be a bit of a shit when we were teenagers. She always swore like a sailor and her tendency to run her mouth had gotten us into trouble more than once, even getting us kicked out of the local diner a few times for being too rowdy. Not that the rest of us didn’t deserve it. We were always screwing around and making fun of each other—and Ada gave as good as she got. She’d called Kai pissboy for an entire summer after he’d accidentally spilled water on his lap.

I stare out at the blur of evergreens rushing past, trying to get my head around how long I’ve been gone—and everything I’ve missed.

Man, I really ran for the hills and never looked back.

I turn back to Marcus. “Y’know, I was supposed to spend this winter traveling.” I pause, noting the sun beaming through the dusty windshield. It might be winter in Australia, but it’s sure a hot-as-fuck summer here. “I was actually about to take a flight to Thailand when Claire called.” The panic in my big sister’s voice drifts back to me again and I clench my hands.

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