Page 72 of As the Rain Falls
“Beckett doesn’t even like you.” He shakes his head incredulously and goes back to typing. “You’re so desperate.”
“And you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snap back, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.
“Yes, I do.” Nathaniel glares at me, as if disgusted. “You’ve always had this stupid crush on him. Like, you’ve been trying since fucking kindergarten and he never looks your way.”
I frown, not remembering what he’s talking about.
“Watching him run around, trying to get Mom to allow you to go to sleepovers at his house.”
“I played soccer too, Nathaniel.” I look away, drifting my attention back to the pillows again.
“Yeah, sure. But you only played because of him.”
My heart skips a beat, and I have to force myself not to squirm.
“Who even cares? I was, what, four in kindergarten?”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Cassandra.” Nathaniel waves a dismissive hand. “Stop talking to me, I’m working.”
“Right,” I snort, dragging the word out in a mocking way. “Working.”
“You should go get the dog before Dad changes his mind.”
“I don’t think he will.” I adjust another pillow on the couch, unsure if the angle is right. “Dad said I’m allowed to bring him to the house as long as Pepé stays out of Mom’s closet.”
I spray more lavender room perfume around, and Nathaniel sneezes seconds later. My brother glares at me then, looking like I’ve just committed a crime, and I grin happily. He is severely allergic to the flower.
“Did you even know that the dog is not his?” he says, voice low and pointed.
Nathaniel is clearly just trying to find something to argue about, and if the conversation wasn’t about Beckett, I probably would’ve ignored him entirely. I just don’t like how he’s trying to antagonize my friend.
“What?” I frown. “Of course, he is.”
“Nope,” Nathaniel insists, his tone certain, leaving no room for questioning. “Beckett is acting all worried now, fake as he is, but back in the day he really hated Pepé.”
“Oh, really?”
“They got him as a puppy for Lucia specifically. Beckett wanted no dogs around the house. She even used to walk him around the block every night, while he wouldn’t touch him with a pole.”
“Okay.” I roll my eyes before spraying more lavender out of spite.“And why should I care?”
“Because you always think he’s so good, don’t you? You just have so much in common,” he scoffs, reading what’s on his screen instead of looking at me. “Well, I watched her playing ball with the dog from my window upstairs, and I know better than to believe he ever gave a fuck. Beckett was never there to help. Lucia took care of everything herself.”
My hand freezes mid-air.I lower the bottle, placing the product back on the coffee table, and turn around to ask him.
“You watched her?”
Nathaniel glances at me sideways, his green eyes narrowing.
“What?”
“You said you watched her walk the dog,” I state, recalling what he just told me.
He blinks, his face unreadable.
“Did I? I don’t think I did.”
“You just did,” I emphasize.
