Page 62 of Love In Translation

“We’re sleeping together.”

Carrie’s green eyes narrowed in concern. For her or for Fletch? Probably for Fletch. They were far closer than Rheo and Carrie were.

“He went to Portland, and I have no idea when he’s coming back. He hasn’t called or texted,” Rheo added, shoving her hands into her hair. “I thought there was...” Her words trailed away, and she lifted her shoulders to her ears. Was she reading too much into this? Creating something out of nothing? They’d never agreed on a relationship...

“Oh, God, Rhee, I hope you’re not falling for him,” Carrie said, sounding appalled. “He’s an awesome guy, one of my best friends, but he’s thedefinitionof unavailable. He’s emotionally distant and solitary. And his work—work that takes him away from civilization for the best part of the year—is his life.”

She wasn’t telling Rheo anything new. And still the words felt like a punch to her head and a kick to her kidneys.

Carrie scooted forward and laid her hand on Rheo’s clenched fist. Carrie waited for Rheo’s eyes to meet hers. “He’s not your type, Rhee, you are nothis. And, no, I’m not jealous, nor do I want him myself. I’m saying it because he’s a good friend and you’re my cousin, and I know you both. You are oil and water, ice and heat...you don’tworktogether.”

Rheo pulled her top lip between her teeth and furiously blinked, trying to dispel the tears threatening to fall.

“I’m not trying to be a bitch,” Carrie quietly assured her. “I’mreallynot, Rhee. I just don’t want you to get hurt. We might not be close, and this might be the first time we’ve spoken in ages, but you are part of the fabric of my life.”

Rheo managed a small smile at Carrie’s earnest face. Her cousin still called a situation exactly how it was and, of the two of them, she knew Fletch best.

He wasn’t into Rheo emotionally...

Shit.

Needing to be alone, Rheo stood and handed Carrie a watery smile. “It’s good to see you, Carrie.”

And it was. As she’d said, Carrie was part of the fabric of her life, a brightly colored patchwork square.

“Be honest, you’d far prefer me to stay away so you wouldn’t have to face the truth.”

Rheo shook her head. “No, my days of shoving my head in the sand are over.” She folded her arms and rocked on her heels. “I need to think about my return to work, and I have to tackle Paddy.”

Carrie grimaced. “Better you than me.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Rheo gestured to the door. “I should go see if the parents have settled in.”

“Don’t bother,” Carrie told her, lifting her suitcase onto the bed. “They told me they want to sleep in the van, and they’ll use the downstairs bathroom.”

“How long are they staying?” Rheo asked. While she and her parents had declared a truce, she knew the three of them got along far better when many, many miles separated them. International borders were good, and continents between them better.

Carrie grinned. “Dunno! But it could always be worse...”

Rheo lifted her eyebrows. “How?”

“Paddy could fly in from Oz.”

“¡Estoy de un humor que mejor ni te cuento!”

“Translation?” Carrie asked.

Rheo shrugged. “I’m in a mood, not happy...something like that.”

“Ah, so...situation normal then?”

On the way out the door, Rheo picked up her cousin’s sandal and lobbed it in the general direction of Carrie’s head. When Carrie’s laughter followed her onto the landing, she cursed her inability to hit anything more than three feet away.

Fletch’s lips curved into a smile when he saw Carrie’s incoming video call. “Hey, you! Where are you—”

Instead of smiling at him, Carrie’s arched eyebrows pulled together in a fierce frown. “I’m in Gilmartin, jerk head, and you aren’t here!”

Sitting in a busy coffee shop with Seb, Fletch winced. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve made sure I was back by the time you arrived.”

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