Page 83 of How to Walk Away

“I’m in trouble with Myles either way.”

And voilà! An internal motivation! Doing something that would make my parents happy or give Ian job fulfillment might blur my newly drawn lines, but there was nothing blurry about getting the fuck out of here.

“Sold,” I said. “I’m in.”

Ian stifled a smile. “Great,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“I can’t go now,” I said. “My sister’s bringing dinner.”

“Oh,” he said. “That’s all right. I’ll wait.”

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?”

“That depends on what you’re having.”

“Italian, I think.” Then, as if to confirm, Kitty walked through the door with a bag from Napoli’s.

“Who is this?” she asked, breezing past him.

It was so weird to think she’d never met him. But his shifts were during the day—and she was all about the night.

“Kitty, this is Ian, my physical therapist. Ian, this is Kitty, my sister.”

“Your black-sheep sister,” Kitty corrected, and then she looked Ian over. “You didn’t tell me he was gorgeous.” She reached out to shake hands. “You can call me Kitty Kat.”

“Do not flirt with my physical therapist,” I said.

“He looks like he can resist me,” Kitty said. Then, to Ian, “Want a soda?” She pulled a can of full-sugar Coke out of her purse. I looked at her, like,I can’t believe you drink that stuff,and she shrugged at me, like,You’ve gotta have some vices.

“No, but thanks,” Ian said.

Kitty turned to me like a kid who’d just spotted a candy bar. Then she whispered, “He really is Scottish.”

I nodded.

“Yum.”

“Donotflirt with my physical therapist!”

“Hello?He’s Scottish. All rules are off.”

“Dad hired him to be my walking tutor. Against my wishes.” At the memory, I tried to wiggle my toes. Nothing.

Ian said, “I really do think I can help you.”

“Well,” I said, “you’d better. My mother wants me to be perfect again, and she won’t accept anything less.”

“Amen to that,” Kitty said.

But Ian was looking at me. “Were you perfect before?”

I shrugged. “I tried like hell,” I said, just as Kitty said, “Yes.”

“That sounds like a lot of work,” Ian said.

“You have no idea,” Kitty said.

“What did you do for fun?” Ian said, looking at me.

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