Page 68 of The Photograph

“Rachel, thanks for calling,” I say sarcastically.

“This guy you’re dating, have you told him about the Sachs family, the money?” No preamble at all—she launches straight into it.

God, not her too. Tom made it sound like we’re part of some New York elite, which is crazy, because we absolutely are not. It’s all bullshit.

“What the hell, Rach? And how do you know I’m seeing someone?”

“Tom called me.”

Oh, fuck. What the hell is he doing contacting my sister? This is all getting a little too close to home. Rachel was the one I confided in when the whole thing with Tom went down. And he understands exactly what pressure he’s applying by calling her, the asshole. But the fact that even one member of my close family is aware of my personal business? Not good.

“Have you told him, Alex?”

“About what?”

“The assets,” she hisses. “Nana will die someday, Alex. There’s money in trust.”

I don’t believe there are any trusts, it’s just my dad’s ploy to force us all to do his bidding. And even if there were, Nana could last a long time. Any inheritance would come to my dad, not us, and that’s before it’s divided up among his five brothers and sisters and millions of cousins. She’s living in cloud cuckoo land. “There’s nothing coming to us any time soon, Rachel. If you’re hoping for that, forget it.”

“Do you listen to Mom and Dad at all? We have to be careful. Date people weknow, people wetrust.”

She means people from our community. Is that where this is coming from? Is she worried about the guy she’s dating, Levi, and how the whole thing will be viewed?

“Then there’s the whole gay thing, of course,” she adds.

What does she mean by thegay thing? She is such a stickler for the rules. I detest the way my father has imposed his will on us all, but particularly on my sisters. But to be fair to her she was awesome when all the trouble started with Tom, talking to our parents and calming things down. Telling them it was just a blip, that every guy experimented. Do I love her or hate her a little for that?

“How did you meet him?”

Ugh. “An online app.”

“Jesus Christ, Alex, are you insane? That’s an excellent method of people not finding anything out about you.” Her sarcasm bleeds over the line. “Please tell me you didn’t post your picture on there.”

“Not a picture of my face, no.”

“You take such stupid risks. It’s so easy to put two and two together online.”

“How would someone put two and two together?”

“All it takes is one photograph.”

Ugh. My mind flits over all the photographs I’ve sent Des, and a shiver runs down my spine. None were identifiably me, though—right? But why would I worry about it? All this paranoia is ridiculous. No one is interested.

“I’m aware of that, Rach,” I say, through gritted teeth. “Anyway, what do you mean,the whole gay thing?”

She pauses on the other end of the line.

“Mom and Dad are going to flip, Alex. You remember what happened last time.”

“I know, I know. You smoothed it all over for me.” Sighing, I stare at the pedestrian lights and the red hand counting down. Eleven, ten, nine …

“So you’ve decided you’re gay now, Alex, not bisexual?”

From the tilt in her voice, I can tell she was hoping I was just experimenting, but it’s never been like that for me.Ugh, lies. People start streaming across the intersection, and I’m almost bowled over as a man with a backpack pushes past.

“Things have changed a bit recently.”

“What?Why?Since you met this guy?”

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