Page 155 of Between the Lines

“She said she had a fight with your mom, went for a bike ride, and ended up close by. She thought you would be here to talk. She assumed we were together.”

An angry bark of a laugh escapes. “So did I.”

I sip my tea, push past him, and take a seat next to my sister. Nathan slips into the study, giving us privacy.

“What happened?” I ask, twirling one of her curls around my finger.

“Mom. That’s what.”

She scoffs, and I let the curl spring off my finger before smoothing it back into place. I tilt my head, encouraging her to continue.

“I told her I don’t want to play cello anymore, and she flipped out. Said I’m ‘too talented to waste it.’ News flash, Linda, I’m talented ateverything. I have an eidetic memory. Doesn’t mean I want to use it all the time.”

My heart balloons inside my chest.

I let her continue to vent, about the argument she had with our mother, and the feelings she’s kept repressed. Zoey goes on and on for a solid amount of time, and I don’t interrupt until she says, “I just wish she’d listen to the words I’m saying instead of searching for the ones she wants to hear.”

I hug my little sister. Hold her so tight, she’s bound to push me away. When she relaxes into me, when she kind of hugs me back, I break.

I think of myself at her age, already parenting two younger siblings. I think of the choices I didn’t get to have, the control our mother took from us. She has the power to break that cycle, the opportunity to speak up for herself. If I couldn’t, Zoey sure can.

When I pull away, that anger in her eyes has been replaced by desperation. She truly doesn’t know what to do.

“Oh, sweet Zo,” I say, running my hand down her head. “Do you want me to talk to her?”

She huffs, putting her mask back on.

“I don’t know.” She shrugs and crosses her arms. “Ideally, I’d liketo stick up for myself, but I still need you in my corner. It hasn’t been the same since you left, Claire. I don’t have my sister there to talk to.”

I breathe in and breathe out. Guilt slowly seeps in, but not as heavily as it once did. Talking through Nathan’s issues gave me a new insight to my own. I shouldn’t feel guilty for living my life. But, I can still have a relationship with my siblings.

“Let’s fix that, okay? Can we pick a day of the week that works for me to come pick you up? We’ll have sister dates.”

Her smile ticks up, and she nods. “I’d like that.” Zoey pauses, her lips pursing, then says, “Is Harding still in the doghouse?”

I tense, feeling color rise to my cheeks.

“What do you mean?”

Her eyes narrow, one twitching. “I’m not stupid, Claire. You didn’t need to stop by his place to pick up a book that one time. You two were totally making out before we went to the library. He looked like absolute garbage when I showed up an hour ago.”

Her arms cross as I pray that a hole will open in the middle of Nathan’s living room and swallow me.

“I… No. To answer your question, we are not on good terms right now.”

“Okay, well, whatever he did, he looks pretty sorry about it. He’s been peeking in here this whole time watching you. It’s only kind of creepy.”

Sure enough, when I turn to glance over my shoulder, Nathan is standing in the doorway to the hall where the study is, his face red after being sold out. I look back at Zoey, smirking.

“That’s what you get for playing that trick move on my rook, Harding.”

Nathan swallows, nods curtly, and says, “Duly noted, Benson.”

“C’mon, meddler. Let’s get you home before Mom calls out an APB.”

Zoey stands, and I guide her to the door. While she’s lacing upher shoes, I meet Nathan in the middle. I cross my arms on the defensive, but also for protection.

“Thank you for texting me. And for keeping her safe.”

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