Page 20 of Lotus

“Did you not hear me? Get lost.”

“Oliver Lynch!” the man calls out. “We want to know your story. You can’t hide away forever.”

I can feel my limbs stiffening, my brick wall swiftly reassembling. I move backwards until I collide with the screen. Their voices sound farther away as I mentally retreat into my cell, reaching for the door handle and turning to slip inside.

To hide.

I don’t dare glance at Sydney as I disappear through the threshold. I’m collecting her looks like little treasures, and I’m certain she’s wearing one I’d rather not keep.

S I X

CLEMENTINE DOES THE WALK OF SHAMEright through my front door later that morning, looking disheveled and guilty. “I boinked the neighbor.”

I figured.

My reply pushes through a mouthful of glazed donut. “Nobody says ‘boinked’ anymore.”

“This is serious, Syd. I’ve known the guy since we were comparing our Super Mario undies in his bedroom while bingingRen and Stimpyepisodes.” She huffs with aggravation. “Now I know what his penis looks like. It’s not okay.”

“His penis?”

Clem glares at me. “No. The situationinvolvinghis penis.”

“Okay, let’s stop saying penis in connection with Gabe. It’s too early for these kinds of mental images.” I toss the half-eaten donut onto the kitchen counter and lean back, watching my sister pace in front of me. “I mean, was it good? Do you have regrets?”

She pauses, puckering her lips and avoiding my stare. “No regrets.”

Well, I’ll be damned.

I fill my cheeks with air and blow it out slowly. “This is really fucking interesting, I won’t lie.”

“It’s weird, I know.”

“Super weird.”

Clem fiddles with her wrinkled blouse, mascara smudged beneath both eyes. She perches her hip against my kitchen island and glances over to me. “Speaking of weird, Oliver was sitting on the porch again when I made my awkward exit. We woke him up last night.”

“Jesus, Clem. Like he needs to be anymore traumatized than he already is.”

“I forgot he was there, okay? It’s not like he saw any naked bits or anything.” She pauses, her nose scrunching up with consideration. “Do you think he’s ever seen a naked woman before?”

Flustered, I pretend to busy myself around the kitchen and turn my back to my sister. “Don’t know, sis. It’s not something I think about.”

Lies. I’ve totally thought about it.

“What happened to you, by the way?” she asks, changing the subject. “Looks like you and Kurt got into a fight with a mud monster and got your asses whooped.”

I look down at my dirt-covered Kurt Cobain t-shirt and shrug. “Gardening.”

“You domesticated woman, you.”

“Just don’t ask me to cook.”

We spend the next half-hour chit-chatting, sipping on orange juice and completely annihilating the box of doughnuts.

Clem sighs as she rises from the chair, plucking her purse from the table and heading for the door. “Well, I need to pick up Poppy from her insufferable father. I hope he notices my ‘just been fucked’ hair.” She twirls around, muttering, “Bastard.”

“Don’t worry. You’re glowing with sexually active radiance.”

---