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“For how long?”
I shrugged. “As long as Catherine and Mike will have me.”
“Hold your horses!” Claire spluttered, raising a hand. “Who said you could stay with your girlfriend for the summer?”
“I said,” I replied evenly.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” my sister was quick to dismiss. “Mam isnevergoing to allow you to do that.”
“Why not?” I countered. “She let Gibs stay with us when Joe and Beth died.”
“But that was different.”
“Why?”
“Because we live across the street from each other,” Claire filled in. “And Lizzie isn’t just yourfriend, if you know what I mean.”
“Get real,” I snapped, tone laced with disgust. “Her sister just died.”
“True, but you guys do a lot of kissing,” Claire muttered, worrying on her lip.
“We’ve kissed a handful of times,” I challenged. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Except that itis,” my sister stressed. “You can’t sleep in her house if you’re kissing her, Hugh. It’s ew.”
“Oh, yeah?” I arched a brow in challenge. “Watch me.”
LATE-NIGHT PHONE CALLS
Lizzie
JUNE 29, 2000
“KEEP TALKING,” HUGH PURRED DOWN THE LINE LATEFRIDAY NIGHT. “ILOVE YOURvoice.”
“You’re so weird,” I mused, cradling my phone to my ear as I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. “How was your graduation?”
“Uneventful,” he replied. “How was your dinner?”
“I didn’t have dinner,” I replied with a frown and then quickly grimaced. “Dammit, you’re a slick one, Biggs.”
“And you’re a little promise breaker, Young,” he shot back. “You promised you would eat dinner every night.”
“I genuinely forgot this time,” I offered sincerely. “Honestly, I did.”
“I could never be a girl,” he mused down the line. “I’ve never forgotten to eat a meal in my entire life.”
“Are you in bed?” I asked, plucking at a thread on my duvet.
“Just climbing in,” he replied, followed by the sound of ruffling sheets. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes. “No surprises there, huh?”
“Maybe not tonight.” There was a teasing lilt to his voice. “But that’ll change from tomorrow on.”
“Yeah,okay.”
“Don’t believe me?” Okay, he wasdefinitelyteasing me now. “Go downstairs and ask your dad what’s happening tomorrow.”
