I smacked a chip out of her hand and she laughed. She slid onto a barstool at the counter, settling in and eating my chips. “Is this seriously all we have?”
“Allwehave. Me and Dad.”
She threw a chip and it bounced off my forehead. “Ooh, what about the road-trip snacks you bought. Where are they?”
I wiped at the bit of salt the chip had left on my forehead. “I haven’t bought them yet.”
“You haven’t bought them yet? We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
“First thing in the morning?” I said, my brain slowly clicking through the calendar. “Oh wow.”
“You forgot?”
“I didn’t forget. I remembered we were going, of course. I just forgot what day it was.” I’d been a little preoccupied kissing a boy. When Zoey gave me a look, I added, “It’s summer!”
“I’m used to you being the controlling one. For once I get to be the big sister and remindyouof something?”
I opened my mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. I held up my finger. “Stop eating my food,” I said, and whirled around to get the door.
Zoey followed me, holding the bag of chips. “Kamala will share with me.”
I stopped two steps from the door. “It’s not Kamala,” I breathed.
“Oh really.”
Three more knocks sounded and seemed to echo through the house. “I don’t need help answering the door.”
“I’m curious who you’re putting snacks out for and why you’re all makeup-upped.”
“You need to start calling before you come over.”
Zoey smiled. “Then you need to start calling before you use my bathroom on your way home from work.”
I braced myself and opened the door. Asher stood there in all his tall, lanky glory, looking super adorable with his floppy auburnhair and glasses. “Hi.” He stepped forward as if he was going to give me a hug.
I turned toward my sister and said, “Asher, this is Zoey, my sister.”
“Hi,” Asher said, dropping his arms to his sides.
“Ah, aren’t you Olive Garden guy?” Zoey said.
“I’m not their spokesperson or anything, but they make a mean lasagna.”
“I guess these are for you.” Zoey held out the bag of chips.
Asher took it warily. “Thank you?”
“Come in,” I said to him. He stepped all the way inside and I shut the door.
Zoey just stood there like she was joining in on whatever we had planned. “Does Dad know you’re having afriendover?”
“Seriously?” I said. “Do you want me to pull up the list of rules you’ve broken over the years and read it to Dad?”
She tilted her head. “I don’t think I’ve broken any. Do you really have a list?”
“No, I don’t have a list. That was supposed to scare you.”
She laughed. “You should ask Wren about her dating list, Asher.”