Page 116 of The Show

“What?” cried Lauren. “What the fuck for?”

“Texas?”

“What’s in Texas?”

“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration,” she replied dramatically.

I cocked my head, thinking. “N.A.S.A? He’s gone to find Marnie Matthews?”

Kit nodded. “Apparently.”

“When’s he coming back?”

Kit shrugged. “I don’t know, Murray wouldn’t say. It took everything I had to get Texas out of him.”

“Well, he’s going to have to come back eventually. The Lions are playing on Sunday. He won’t miss it,” I said rationally. “Why didn’t Murray want to tell you?”

Kit bit on her cheek, and I didn’t like it.

“Kit?” I frowned, “Why?”

“Penn thinks you need the space to figure out what you want.” She was rolling her glass between her fingers, and wouldn’t look at me. “But Murray said Penn is pissed you’re keeping him a secret from your mom, and that you won’t stand up to her. And he thinks you guys are probably going to be over because of it. I’m sorry, Lowe.”

“What?” I cried, my head flicking round at the girls at what I was hearing. “That’s ridiculous! I stood up to my mom! I told her! I mean, Jesus, does he want to give me any kind of chance?”

Kit leaned across the counter and patted my hand. “Lowe, don’t worry. This is fixable. This is what the boys do. They’re so used to getting their own way they freak out when something goes even slightly wrong. They don’t know how to handle it, so they throw their toys out of the stroller.”

Lauren raised her glass. “The girl’s got a point. I mean, Penn does like getting his own way. And look at how he sulked over the baseball club. That might have still been going on if we hadn’t intervened.”

I slapped my palm so hard against the marble counter top that it stung. “Are you kidding me? Three months?! No chance! This will get sorted out as soon as he’s back from Houston. Sooner, if he’d pick up the fucking phone. I don’t want to be over.” I was too annoyed for my voice to break, and too annoyed to accept that I might have ruined the best thing that had ever happened to me.

No. One way or another, this was getting fixed.

“You know, Lowey, this is a good opportunity to rethink this whole ‘dating my brother’ thing. Might be less hassle, ya know. He’s very childish.” Lauren reached for the box of cupcakes and picked one out. “Where this pizza? I’m getting hungry.”

As if on cue, the buzzer went.

“Finally! Pizza!” Beulah ran off to get the door again.

Three minutes later she returned with pizza - and the guys who’d apparently delivered it.

I startled slightly. Kit threw Murray a dirty look and continued drinking. In turn he gave a quiet chuckle, marched straight toward her and pulled her into a kiss.

“Am I forgiven?”

“I’ll think about it,” she grumbled, but softened in his arms. “What are you two doing here?”

“We brought pizza,” Rafe said as he held the box up.

“I swear I didn’t call them. They met the delivery guy downstairs,” said Beulah, her palms held out to us before we could accuse her of betrayal.

“How’re you doing, Lowe?” Rafe asked quietly.

“She’s not great because Penn’s an idiot and can’t handle things not going his way,” Lauren jumped in.

“Where is he, Rafe? I can’t get hold of him,” I murmured.

“He’s gone to get Jupiter’s chick. He wanted to get out of New York, to give you space.”

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