Page 50 of Fake Engaged to the Enemy

Or is it because of our mother?

“You don’t have to worry about that here,” I tell her. “Grandma sleeps like a log and I prefer to be up early.”

Katherina nods. “Where were you going?”

“For a walk on the beach.” I study my half-sister. She knows that I don’t want her here in Sandburrow, and I know how much that can hurt.

I take a deep breath.

“Want to come with me?” I offer. It means I won’t have my solitude, but it’s a way to make it up to her.

After all, I know how much it hurts to be unwanted. I don’t want to inflict that same pain on anyone else, even if I can’t change my feelings.

Katherine’s eyes light up. “Really?”

“Of course. Just get some water to bring with you,” I say.

This elicits a chuckle from myself. I sound like Grandma!

Katherine grabs her things, and we head out along the beach.

It’s an awkward silence between us. I try to put myself in her shoes. If I was spending the first time with my big sister alone, what would I want to talk about?

“Er, how’s school going?” I ask.

That’s a lame question.

Nobody likes to talk about school.

But it’s the only thing I can think of.

“I’m not in school. It’s summer break,” she says.

“How’s school when you are in school?”

“Fine.” Katherina kicks off her shoes and wades into the ocean.

There’s got to be more that I can talk to her about. “Any boys you like?”

“No.”

“Any girls?”

Katherina shakes her head. “I’m not into all that dating nonsense.”

I chuckle at the way she phrased it. “Fair enough. Some people are late bloomers. Or never even get interested in it.”

“How old were you when you started to get interested?” she asks, peeking at me out of the corner of her eye.

I look straight ahead, heat rushing to my cheeks. “High school.”

“Can you be more specific?”

“Nope. That’s privileged information.” I’m blushing. Why am I blushing? “The point is, we are all individuals. Just so long as when—or if—you start getting interested, you know how to keep yourself safe.”

Katherina’s eyes widen. “Uh, we’re not talking about that.”

“Not without talking to Grandma first.”

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