Page 57 of The Alien's Little Sister

They have beendoggingme for details on her, and I can’t put them off for much longer. Frankly, I’m shocked as shit that they haven’t shown up on my doorstep demanding to meet the woman I’m hiding from their snoopy noses.

(Because yeah, like I said, I have it coming for all the times I’ve given their men the third degree. Iknowthat. Believe me, I won’t be a whiny little bitch if they drop by—to the contrary. I want to introduce them all to Inara. I know they’ll get along great and… I want their approval. I’m going toneedtheir approval.)

Inara plants her hands on the forearm I’ve got on the 2 o’clock position on the steering wheel. “Oh, Matt, yes!”

Pleasure and relief mingle inside me. “Good,” I say, giving her a brief, burning glance. “Because they sure want to meet you. We’ll make it happen.”

She pulls back, eyes dropping to her iSquid, her loose earbud tripping along her tunic’s collar. “I’ll find the Sheering song,” she says happily.

“Sheeran.”

“Ahhh, Sheeran,” she murmurs to herself. But then she pauses. “You said ‘you can all watch’—you won’t be with us while we partake in this movie?”

Hell no,never again.“Nope.”

See me being all careful splitting my thoughts and out-loud words? Go me.

“Whyever not?” Inara asks innocently.

“Because the movie I have in mind isMe Before You,(which played “Photograph”as a too-apt theme song, which is what made me think of it) and it’s so memorable, I never need to see it again for the rest of my life. But content notwithstanding, it was traumatic because I thought my mom and sisters asked me to a movie day so we could all get together like real old times, before everyone was married. It was just me and the girls again, I thought it’d be great.”

“It wasn’t?”

“That movie got done and I had shit in my eyes—”

“You what?”

“Dust or something. Anyway, I’m discreetly working on swiping my eyes—when all of a sudden, right there in the theater, five femalesexplodein tears. It was like… it was like going to the first screening of Titanic, ever. Butworse.Because when I heard the movie title, I thought it was all a big joke, like the women in my family were going to end some chick-flick day with a moralistic reminder that I should make sure my future girlfriend got to come first before me or something.” I cut her another glance. “I was going to inform them I had that covered. Instead, we left the theater with one man guiding five women who couldn’t have been crying harder if they’d just watched a litter of puppies get mowed down by an eighteen-wheeler. And Istillhad my own shit in my eyes to deal with. It was horrific.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Inara clasp her hands, and unclasp them. She’s fidgeting, and it’s adorable. “What will your family say when they see me?”

“They raised me. They aren’t stupid women. They’re going to take one look at you munching on popcorn and think your costume is too elaborate for a prank and too realistic to be believed.” I shoot her a look. “I need to tell them the truth.”

Inara doesn’t startle. Instead, she bites her lip. “You are going to tell them that I’m not from here?”

My lips quirk in a smile. “I’m probably going to start there. ‘She’s not from around here’ will probably be the very first words out of my mouth.” I eye her quickly. “You’re not afraid for them to know, right?”

She shakes her head. “I have never been afraid. I would have told everyone I met the truth, if you hadn’t been convinced of my safety being at stake.”

“I definitely still insist on your safety, but we can trust my family. Plus…” I clear my throat, and now I force myself not to glance at her. “I need to prepare them.”

“For what?”

“For… an eventuality.”

She sounds extra cautious, and I’m immediately on edge. “What eventuality do you have in mind?”

I clear my throat. “When you leave here, I’m coming with you.”

There’s silence beside me.

I rush to state my case, unable to let the quiet stretch on. “Here me out: I’m crazy about you. I know you have feelings for me too. If you don’t think you’ll havethosefeelings—if you think you can’t fall in love with me someday, tell me now. Not to guilt trip you, but I’m already a lost cause where you’re concerned, regardless of how you feel for me. I’ve already set some plays into motion to take care of the people I care about after I’m gone—”

Inara leaps on me, and it’s only by the grace of God that I keep us steered straight.

“Driving, sweethearts, driving!”

“Sorry! I’m sorry,” Inara says quickly, slipping back into her seat and clicking the seatbelt before I can do more than open my mouth to mention the safety precaution. “It’s only that—” She takes a deep breath. “I’ve been desperately trying to think of a way to ask you to come with me.”

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