Page 75 of Make The Cut

“Poppy.” He says my name like it’s a sacred incantation. “I didn’t mean to say that much.”

“Too late,” I breathe. “No take-backs.”

“Oh, the perils of dating a girl with two older brothers.” His foot brushes against my calf under the table and I have to stop myself from jumping out of my skin or crawling across the table, candles and sushi be damned, and kissing him senseless. “Do you call dibs on everything, too?”

“I’d call dibs on you.”

“You already have.” He gestures to his chest, where the poppy tattoo is permanently outlined in black ink. A phone rings somewhere in the house—a landline—and he gets up suddenly. I didn’t even realize people still had landlines. “I’ll be right back.”

When he leaves to answer the phone, I feel suddenly bereft. His cell lies across from me, and flashes with a notification: a call from his father.

I stare at the ringing phone and sit on my hands. Naoya wouldn’t appreciate it if I picked up the phone when his dad called. I’m pretty sure he’d hate it. And possibly me. So, I keep my curiosity leashed, even though it starts barking and yipping like a ferocious Chihuahua. It’s none of my business what his dad wants to say. So, I let the call go to voicemail.

Hi, Naoya. I just wanted to let you know, if you’re going to the wedding, your sister—Lauren’s daughter—will be there, too. Her name is Sasha. Anyway, hope to talk to you soon. Bye.

Sasha?

It’s a common enough name. Yet I can’t help but feel like…

What if the Sasha he’s talking about is the one I’m friends with?

Naoya doesn’t have any siblings that he’s told me about. He definitely doesn’t have asisternamed Sasha.

L.A. is a big city. Sasha may not be an incredibly common name, but it’s not so rare that there could only be one girl named Sasha that we happen to both know.

No, I’m sure I’m just imagining it. There’s no way that Naoya’s secret (illegitimate?) sister, who is named Sasha, is also the same girl who’s my friend.

Except…

How did I even come to know Sasha? Yes, we ran into each other at work and coincidentally became friends that way, but I feel like there’s more to it.

Why did she hide and run away when we ran into Naoya at the tea room?

Why don’t I know anything about her dad, only her mom?

Who is my friend?

And who is Naoya’s stalker?

Chapter Thirty-Six: Naoya Sugawa

After I get off the phone with my mom, I walk back into the dining room. She called to tell me that I left the scarf Poppy knit for me at her place, when I thought there was some kind of emergency happening. Though I’m glad nothing’s wrong with her, I’m a little annoyed to have left Poppy in the middle of our date.

When I sit back down, Poppy’s subdued. Quiet. Staring down at her half-eaten California roll with an unreadable expression.

“Hey. Sorry about that, it was my mom….”

“It’s fine.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she says immediately. Too abruptly for my liking.

“No, what’s really wrong?” I nudge her. “You can tell me.”

“Your dad called.”

“Did you pick up?” What’s left of my good mood dissipates and my emotions twist themselves into a tangled mass of impatience and anger at my father.

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