Page 80 of Tell Me When It's Over

Jesus H. Christ.

“She’s in the spare bedroom. Please?” It’s all I can manage to get out, but she must know not to push because she eventually nods, cradling her stomach, and then turning in the direction I point her in.

There’s muffled talking.

Silence.

Then…

I hear crying.

And I know it’s Lenny.

My sister finds me sitting outside, clearing her throat as she approaches me. I stand instantly and clench and unclench my fists. “Is she okay?”

“She’s embarrassed,” Mia says, sighing lightly.

It’s been an hour, over an hour since she arrived and disappeared into the room. I could only take five minutes of hearing Leighton cry before escaping outside and pacing, trying to figure out what to do while trying not to crawl out of my skin.

“But she’s—”

“She’s okay, Ky.” Her voice is still soft, reassuring, but there’s something in her eyes that makes me narrow mine. “She’s going to come to my house for a couple days.”

What? “No.”

“Ky—”

“No,” I repeat more firmly. “You can’t make her pack a bag and leave, Mia.”

“She asked to go.”

That stops me dead in my tracks. Lenny wants to leave me? Those words are the first ones that pop in my head and they curdle like soured milk in my stomach.

Her shoulders drop a little. “Come on, little brother. Think rationally. She’s as embarrassed as anybody would be in this situation. Remember that time when you walked in on Mom and Dad—”

“Stop. I don’t want to remember that.”

“Exactly.” Her deadpan expression has mine molded into reluctant understanding. “Give her a couple days, okay? You both need it. What happened is…it’s rough.”

That’s the understatement of the fucking year, but I don’t point that out to her. After all, she didn’t have to drop whatever the hell she was doing to come here, but she did.

“I should talk to her.” My voice hitches, causing me to clear it. “Clear the air, maybe.”

She shakes her head, eyes widening as if to say that’s a horrible idea before she actually tells me as much. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. In fact, maybe you should go to your room and let me take her home.”

Is she really telling me Leighton doesn’t even want to see me? “This is bullshit. She’s going to avoid me?”

“Don’t you think you’ve seen enough of her for one night?” she snaps back, making me press my lips together as I pale. Because yeah. I’d seen a lot more of Lenny than I had before.

Side boob.

There was definitely some side boob.

And a nipple.

Shudders rack my spine when I think of the other image permanently burned into my brain like a cattle brand. I wouldn’t mind never seeing the little shit, Chase, again, but it’s different with Lenny. It’ll be fucking hard—groan—but I’m not going to let her avoid me forever.

Logically, I know Mia’s right.

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