Page 113 of Steps

“I don’t get it.”

I swivel, heart thumping with panic. “Alison…”

She folds her arms and glowers at me. “My brothergot kicked out because of you. The tension between him and my dad has increasedbecause of you. And yet you won’t put aside your raging, horny, teenage hormonesso that we can mend.”

Although her words cause the guilt already in meto grow, at least she keeps her voice down.

“I’m sorry, okay. I don’t want it to be like this,but I can’t give him up. I love Varen. I really do.”

She screws up her face. “You’re seventeen. Whatyou’re feeling will go away.”

I turn my head slowly. “No, it won’t. I’ll neverlove anyone the way I love him.”

Her eyes and features start to soften the longershe looks at me.

A door opens upstairs, followed by the sound ofDaniel yawning.

Panic rises in me. I whisper my plea to Alison,“Please don’t say anything.”

She purses her lips and blinks away. I spin asDaniel comes down the stairs.

“Oh, you two are up early.” He passes a smilebetween Alison and me as he reaches the bottom step.

I wring my fingers, unable to come up with a lie.

Alison speaks. “Toya wants to start exercising, soI convinced her to get up early with me today.”

Daniel bobs. “That’s good. Glad to see you bothgetting along.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, smiling at her.

Alison shrugs and plasters on a broad smile forher dad. “Hungry? I was about to make a healthy breakfast.”

“Sure, honey.” He pats her arm, and they walk intothe kitchen. Alison peers over her shoulder at me briefly.

I mouth, “Thank you.”

She cuts her eyes back to Daniel as he questionsher about the law firm.

No idea why she covered for me, but I’m grateful.

27

Following breakfast Sunday morning, I lounge inthe family room writing in my journal.

Daniel’s golfing with friends, Alison is meetingup with Gabe, and Mom is relaxing in the living room watching TV. But mostlykeeping an eye on me to make sure I don’t leave the house.

My heart leaps when I hear the doorbell littlebefore noon. “I’ll get it,” I tell Mom, hurrying to the main level.

“Hey, best friend!” Kenya squeals when I open thedoor. She jumps inside, throwing her arms around me. “Shit, I feel like Ihaven’t seen you in forever.”

“I know. I’ve pretty much been on house arrest.”

She jerks my hand and offers a kind smile. “Thatbad, huh?”

I sigh. “Let’s go downstairs.”

Mom calls out, “Is that your friend?”

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