Page 25 of Saving Shepperd

Although it was a normal response from her, I felt like she’d stabbed me in the chest. I was so conditioned to have everyone bend over backward to accommodate my rare good nature. So now, to hear her doing me a favor by fitting me into hertoo busy for youschedule…well, it hurt. It just hurt.

Again, it was my own fault. And if I wanted things to change, I had to put in the effort. I’d had a long, honest talk with myself last night and decided I needed to make some changes in my life—in the way I treated the people that I cared about, especially. If I didn’t, and my God was this conversation glaring evidence that I was right, I’d be completely alone.

“I was kind of hoping we could do it today,” I said cautiously.

“Hmmm,” she said, and I could hear her shuffling around. “Let me just check what Andrew has planned. Maybe I could meet you for a drink. Hold on one second while I see what his schedule looks like.”

She either muted the call or held her hand over the receiver, because I couldn’t hear a sound from her end of the line. I even checked that we hadn’t been disconnected.

But then she settled my mounting fear that she’d ditched my call and popped back on. “Yeah, okay, that should work out. What time were you thinking? If possible, I don’t want to stay out too late because I have a meeting early in the morning that I need to be fresh for.”

“That’s my ever-practical twin,” I teased.

“You know me.”

“I’m pretty much wide open here, and as always, would be happy to get the hell out of this house at any time. So you decide when, and we can just meet at Charlie’s if that works for you? That’s pretty much halfway between here and there.”

“Good plan. How about an hour from now? I just need to change quick and get over that way.”

“Works for me!” I replied enthusiastically.

My mood had changed so many times on this short call, but I was glad I would be seeing my sister. I really needed someone to talk to about this fast-moving thing happening between Law and me, and Maye would give it to me straight. If I was being crazy and reckless even considering moving in with a guy I hardly knew, she’d be the one to tell me.

“Okay, see you soon. And Shep?”

Just as I was about to say good-bye, I had to course-correct and reply to her saying my name in that particular way only she could. I swallowed hard knowing she was about to drop a bomb on me just by the tone of her voice.

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you called.”

Fucking tears filled my eyes from the sincerity in her voice, and my own was rough when I said, “Me too, Maye.”

An hour and half later, I rushed through the front door of the small bar near our school’s campus. Luckily, I found a parking spot close by, because it was one of the darkest nights I’d seen in memory. Normally, the sky was clear and full of stars and a bright moon that helped light the way, but the air felt like a storm must be blowing in off the water, and dense cloud cover made the night extra moody.

My twin was always on time, so she already had a small booth secured toward the back of the little place and gave me a wave when we saw each other. Instinctually, I knew right where to look for her when I burst through the door and carried my momentum in her direction.

She stood, and we hugged briefly. Look, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of girl, and no matter how many pep talks I had with myself about being nicer, more patient, and more available in general, some things would never change.

We took our seats on opposite sides of the little booth, and I tossed my bag on the bench beside me. Of course, I fished out my phone and put it on the table out of habit. If Law happened to message me while I was here, that would just be a bonus. He and I spoke briefly in the morning, but he had a full day planned with his niece, so I promised myself to give him some breathing room.

“You really scared me today, I’m not going to lie,” she said right out of the gate.

“Would you stop with that,” I scoffed.

“You and I both know you aren’t a chatty Kathy. I’m used to there being sirens going off in the background when I pick up your call,” she said with a grin.

“Ha! Very funny. That was one time, Maye. And you’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” I matched her grin, and we stopped talking a few minutes while the server took our orders.

“So, tell me, what’s new with you? How has it been around the house?” Maye asked when the adorable waitress walked off.

“I fucking hate that house. So basically, nothing’s changed. Other than now you’re not there to make it bearable.” I paused there wondering if I should just launch into the half-baked idea of moving in with Law, or warm her up a little more.

“I got a really weird call from Mom yesterday. I was a little surprised I didn’t hear from you sooner,” she said as our server returned with our drinks.

I’m sure my face was twisted with confusion. What would a conversation between my mother and sister have to do with me? Then it hit me. I was exactly what their conversation was about. My mother was mounting her crusade to fix me and probably tried to enlist my twin in her project.

I gave a grand eye roll after sipping my cocktail. “Oh, the current house project is”—I made air quotes—“fix Shepperd. Again.” I shook my head in disbelief and disgust that the woman actually bothered Maye with her nonsense.

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