Page 144 of Never Kiss and Tell

“Can I ask what happened?”

I bite my tongue, running through the events of the last two months.

“I fell in love,” I murmur quietly, staring at my toes under the bubbling jets.

“That’s big,” Savannah says, her eyes narrowing.

I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

“It was.”

“So, what happened?”

I shrug. “It wasn’t meant to be, I guess. It was only supposed to be a fling.”

“Oh, so just fucking.”

I cringe, heat flooding my face.

“You’re my hot sister, not my grandma. Remember, I found you handcuffed to a bed by your ex.”

She’s right. Savannah and I have shared everything since we were kids. It wouldn’t be right to withhold this from her.

“You know, I think there was something there.”

“So, why leave?”

I eye her. Has she gone crazy?

“Do you not remember our mother? She practically forbademe from seeing him.”

“Did you not see my last boyfriend? She hated him. But she got over it.”

“Mom just has this idea of me getting married to a man like Marcus and following in her footsteps.”

“Sounds incredibly dull,” Savannah murmurs, touching up her lipstick in a compact.

“Yeah,” I concede, unsure what point I’m even arguing. “She would disown me.”

“Bullshit. Mom loves you. You’re her favorite, you know?”

“Okay, you don’t have to lie to me. I can handle the truth.”

“I’m serious,” she laughs. “She was so lost without you these last couple weeks.”

“Yeah, she didn’t have anyone to yell at.”

Savannah rolls her eyes at this. “I think she’s lonely. She wants someone to care about her. You know, like Dad did, but she’s scared. Money and all.”

I shake my head. I’ve never been able to wrap my head around Mom and money. It’s like an addiction to her.

“Do you really want to live your life under Mom’s thumb?” Savannah asks. “Or would you rather have great sex, eat shitty, delicious food, and get fat and happy?”

I pause, thinking through what she had just said. I lean my head back in the chair as two techs come over to start on our toes. I choose a shade of crimson that I feel will perfectly match my dress and heels for the night. Savannah chooses black, matching her entire persona.

As they paint away, completely engrossed in their own conversation, I find Kenya’s words echoing in my head.

Find what makes you happy.

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