Page 39 of The Snowball Effect

“Why? Have somewhere better to be?” Her sister asked, in thattone. The tone she always made her way to when they talked.

Regan slid her gaze to meet Audrey’s stare.

“Work,” she replied shortly. “I have work after this.” When Audrey lifted her eyebrows, Regan dropped a hand over hereyes. “Look, I also don’t want to get into a ridiculous back and forth today, okay? Even though I’m not a high-powered public relations executive, I still have a job. Someone has to make you a coffee on your way to the office, right?”

It was as much fire as she could manage, but it seemed to do the trick. Audrey drew her lips into a tight line and turned to look at herself in one of the many dizzying full-length mirrors.

Regan wondered if her sister ever contemplated how wildly different they looked. With her long, pale blonde hair and pale green eyes, Audrey favored their mother as much as Regan favored their father’s dark hair and eyes. They were as different in looks as they were in personality.

When she’d been little, Regan had wished desperately to look and be more like her sister. She vividly remembered begging her mom to dye her hair like Audrey’s for her sixth birthday. But those wants had died a long time ago, when she’d realized she’d much rather be like herself – ADHD and all – than like her judgey, snobby family.

Which was why Emma’s comments from last night shouldn’t bother her.

Regan knew that. And Regan liked to believe that she had skin thick enough that one person’s opinion of her wouldn’t hold any true weight.

She’d been sworn at more times than she could count, in multiple languages – it was so beautiful, in a way, how much of a melting pot New York truly was – even had a few coffee cups thrown at her from angry customers with no sense of decency. And every time that happened, she’d walked away with an unmarred sense of self and a funny story.

Yet, here she was. In an undeniable funk ever since last night. When Emma had torn Regan apart in less than ten minutes. The worst part was that Emma hadn’t even intended to be rudewhen she’d called Regan dumb, unorganized, irresponsible, and ambitionless.

Nope, she’d stated it so casually. As if she and Regan were both on the same page about those facts. As if theywerejust those – facts.

If Regan was being honest with herself, the fact that Audrey’s dress fitting was this morning exacerbated everything. She was already on edge leading up to today, as she always was with Audrey, and to have Emma tell her that she thought of Regan the same way Regan’s family did… it did hurt her feelings. A lot.

“So, how’s your life withSutton?” Audrey asked, using the same shitty tone she always used when she said Sutton’s name.

Regan was almost grateful to be pulled out of her depressing thoughts. Almost. She scowled at the way Audrey referred to her best friend.

“It’s fine,” she answered. “I mean, Sutton’s in Rome. But it’s fine.” She traced her index finger over one of the little golden lines that was imprinted into the wood of the armrest as she spoke.

“On a vacation with her congresswoman girlfriend, then?” Audrey pressed in that same voice.

Regan did a double-take at her sister’s reflection, wondering how she’d even known about that. Since when did Audrey take any interest in Regan’s life, of which Sutton was an extension? Audrey wasn’t looking at her and was instead re-applying her already perfect lipstick. Regan hadn’t even realized she’d broken out her cosmetics.

Then again, Regan reasoned with herself, Charlotte’s coming out had been a fairly public moment. “Uh, no. She’s been there for about two months; she’s doing an internship, so she’s going to be there for a while. Until the end of the year.”

God,that felt like forever right about now. Regan’s stomach was twisting with knots at the idea of going home to Emma, and they still had another five and a half months to go.

“Without you?” Audrey scoffed out a laugh, shaking her head as if she’d said something incredibly amusing, as she popped the cap back onto her lipstick.

Regan pulled a face at her sister’s back. “Obviously,without me.” She tapped her fingers against the armrest again, biting at the inside of her cheek. Waiting.

Waiting for whatever smart remark would come next, certain one was coming. When it came to her family, it always was.

Several moments beat by in quiet as Audrey rifled through the designer bag she had sitting on the chair next to her. When she did speak, thattonewas gone. “Huh. And how’sthatgoing?”

Regan nearly fell out of her seat – literally, she gripped both armrests just in case – from the shocked confusion that rushed through her. Audrey asking her a follow-up question? About herlife?!

Suspicion edged in, and Regan narrowed her eyes. “How’swhatgoing?”

“Not being attached at the hip with Sutton Spencer,” Audrey clarified, scoffing slightly again.

Really, was Regan dreaming? Had she tripped on the way here and fallen into an alternate universe? Was Audrey actually asking how it was going? Or was she being bitchy?

When she remained silent, Audrey pressed, “Well?”

“Well, what?” She asked, feeling unbelievably dumb.

“I asked you a question…”

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