“I needed to ask her about it, is all.”
Both sisters chuckle.
“I’m not going to talk to you about it if you’re going to laugh at me,” I say, sounding like a petulant child, even to my own ears.
“Unrelated question,” Kelsey says. “Where has Lila been sleeping this week?”
“What?” This time it’s Izzy and I asking the question at the same time. I can tell Izzy is gaping at her sister, but I remain focused on putting the white ball into the small round hole.
“You heard me. She mentioned her window broke in the storm, but she’s been surprisingly quiet about where she slept. And she hasn’t mentioned anything about her room since that next day when I was talking to her, even though every other person in Wild Bluffs who had a window broken has given me unsolicited, daily updates about the state of getting back in their rooms.” Damn. Kelsey missed her calling as a lawyer. She’s really laying this all out methodically. “The staff in the restaurant told us at dinner that most of the rooms still weren’t ready, since they’d been focused on the public areas. Now, all of this would be circumstantial at best, but then you thought Lila was out on a date with another guy and you are clearly more upset about it than a typical roommate would be.”
Well, shit. “That’s not—”
“Damn, Kels. You nailed that,” Izzy says, the pride in her voice evident.
“Didn’t you give me a speech an hour ago about helping me carry my burden? This feels like adding to it,” I say, giving them my full attention so they can see the disappointment on my face.
Izzy snorts. “I think this is exactly the family treatment you were promised. You know how you have to clean a wound out before you let it heal so the little rocks and shit don’t become ingrained in your skin? Well, imagine this as the antiseptic portion of your journey.”
“Okaaay,” I say, kind of grossed out by the visual, and not at all interested in having my emotional wounds cleansed.
Kelsey crosses her arms, still holding her putter in one hand. “Let’s try this a different way. I’m going to ask you a question, and you answer with the truth—the first thing that pops into your mind, okay?” Kelsey asks.
“Yesss,” Izzy breathes, fist-pumping a little. “I love this strategy. Plus, bonus points for stealing it from a TV show. Bryn would be so pleased.”
Kelsey and I both glare at Izzy, who seems a bit taken aback by our lack of enthusiasm.
“Have you and Lila been sleeping together since her window broke?” Kelsey asks, not waiting for me to agree to her game.
“Yes.” I guess we’re just diving right into it. But to be fair, Kelsey already figured that out. If I wasn’t already slightly scared of her and her “ninja skills” as her sisters call them, I sure would be now.
“Are yousleepingsleeping together?”
“No.”
“Are you more than friends?”
“I’m not even sure I’d call us friends.”
“Do you want to be?”
“Yes.” Shit. I’m surprised by the answer. Maybe this strategy works.
“What’s your favorite color?”
“What?”
“You were overthinking it. I’ll start again. What’s your favorite color?”
“Green.” Like Lila’s eyes. Shit.
“Do you like pizza or ice cream more?”
“Pizza.”
“Boo,” says Izzy, but Kelsey shushes her.
“Do you want to date Lila?”