Page 105 of The Snowball Effect

“You were too busy withSutton,” Audrey muttered into her glass before taking another swig.

“Why do you have to say her name like that?” Regan demanded, not even able to summon the anger she typically felt. She just – she just wanted to understand, now.

“Because you were always so busy beinghersister, you never cared about being mine!” The words burst from Audrey’s mouth and seemed to startle them both.

At the very least, Regan knewshewas startled. Baffled and shocked, she could only stare across the table for several long seconds before she found her ability to speak, “You didn’t evenwantme to be your sister. When I became friends with Sutton, you used to talk about how you were thrilled that I wasn’t following you around anymore.”

Because that had been exactly what she’d done when they were little. Before their dad started working for Sutton’s, they’d gone to a private school. Though Regan had transferred in the second grade, she hadn’t had any friends there.Anyfriends. She’d been known as the weird girl since day one of kindergarten. Her only comfort at school was in her older sister, and Regan had followed her around like a lost puppy.

Audrey had hated it, complaining loudly and often about being unable to get rid of her.

“I wasnine, of course I complained about you being my shadow! But I–” She broke off, staring at Regan with big, sad eyes, the heated fight in her fading. “I missed you when I didn’t have you anymore. And I never got you back. You were barely ever home once you had Sutton in your life, and you were miserable the entire time you had to be in our house.”

Regan nearly shot backcan you blame me? But the words didn’t leave her throat. Because she saw, very clearly, that Audrey did understand. That maybe, despite Audrey being the perfect golden child, it hadn’t been a label she’d worn in victory but in necessity.

“You know that time Dad’s ties ended up being slashed up?” Regan asked, the memory popping up unbidden. “Like, all of them.”

Audrey’s expression was a picture-perfect blend of confusion and intrigue. Regan felt hesitant to get personal in any way… but shewantedto say this to her sister. She found, at this moment, she needed to say it.

Audrey slowly nodded. “Of course, he lost his mind. And no one could ever figure out where that stray cat had come from.”

“That was me,” she confessed. “I wanted to perform in the sixth-grade talent show as a magician, and I couldn’t master that trick, where you pull all of the ties out of your sleeves. So, I got it in my head that if I cut them up, I could pull them out seamlessly. You know, if they were thinner and flimsier.”

“Sure…” Audrey agreed, clearly placating her, but Regan would take it. She blinked several times. “But, Regan, therewasa cat in the house.”

“Well, obviously, the tie trick didn’t work. And I panicked when I realized how badly his ties were messed up and that I was going to get in so much trouble. So, I snuck out after bedtime and brought the cat in–”

Audrey was shaking her head, ludicrous laughter spilling out of her mouth. “Where did you even find the cat? It had one eye.”

“His name was Blackbeard, thank you very much. And he was mine; he lived in the shed in the back of the yard. Dad never got around to tearing down the one on the edge of the property after he got the new one built.”

Her sister’s laughter grew louder before she slapped a hand over her mouth to quiet down when she seemed to realize it. “Sothat’swhy you took it upon yourself to catch the cat. You know, I always thought it was weird that you took such a personal offense to Dad’s tie collection being ruined.”

Audrey studied her for a few moments, her eyebrows knitting together. “I think… it might be nice to get to know you.”

Regan found herself studying her sister back. “I think that could be arranged.”

Regan got home two hours later, collapsing onto the couch with a loud exhale as she dropped her forearm over her eyes, utterly exhausted.

Utterly exhausted, she still had to go into Topped Off for the night shift, given that two of her typical weekend staff were on vacation.

What a truly crazy, batshit brunch. What a worldview-altering morning. What –

“Hey,” Emma’s voice broke into her thoughts. “I didn’t realize you were home.”

Regan slid her arm away from her face to look up at Emma, who stood a few feet away from the couch in the kitchen doorway with an apple in her hand.

At the very sight of her, Regan felt something inside of her spark to life, and she didn’t even realize she was smiling until she felt herself doing it. “Hey, yourself. I just got here.”

Emma frowned as she studied where Regan was laying in repose. “Are you all right?”

Yeah, there it was. This swooping, pleasant feeling inside of her stomach that Emma not only cared if Regan was okay but she noticed – so easily – that something was off.

“I’m fine. I think.” She was honestly going to need to take stock of everything with Audrey later. When she was alone. Which was what she always did, when it came to her familyissues. After she had some time to think and settle with her feelings, she would download to Sutton.

It was the way she’d operated for a very long time.

Only, as she stared up at Emma, she found that the words were begging her to vocalize them. She found that shewantedto share what happened this morning – that she wanted to share it with Emma, in particular.

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