Page 125 of Just a Little White Lie

I’m an adult, and he has to start treating me like one.

I open my mouth to tell him so, but he starts snickering before I can say anything.

“Did you honestly put dance teacher on your résumé?”

“I put danceexperience.” I wince and close my eyes. “I didn’t expect that to be taken as an invitation to start teaching the subject.”

“Well.” Luke chuckles. “It worked out for the best, though, didn’t it?”

“What?” I open my eyes and gape at him. “Luke! Please don’t tell me lies are for the best, okay? There’s a chance they’ve cost me the only man I’ve ever loved!”

My brother goes still, like he’s holding his breath or something. “You love him?”

“Yes.” I tip my head back. “I mean, I knew I did, I just… never told him. I tried to show him as best I could.”

Luke’s face is hilarious as he sticks out his tongue and looks disgusted.

“Get your mind out of the gutter.” I can’t help a weepy laugh, but it fades away quickly. “It wasn’t enough. And now he’s mad at me, and he took off to Auckland without even telling me. He didn’t even say goodbye. Why did I have to say I don’t need him? It wasn’t the truth!”

“Yeah, well, Jack gets broody.” Luke shakes his head. “I really hate it when he gets like that, but it’s kind of his way. You have to give him space to process.”

“Ugh.” I cover my face with my hands.

“But we’ve all got our faults, right? We all make mistakes, and then we do things to fix them. Look at you. When I first picked you up all those weeks ago, I thought you were a hopeless case. Now you’re charging into a principal’s office and tearing her a new one. You’re fighting for these kids. You’re passionate about life. I’ve never seen you so on fire before.”

My eyes start to glisten as I take in his sincerity.

“And I know you shouldn’t have lied on your résumé, but life was kind enough to give you Jack. And you were brave enough to tell him the truth. That’s why he helped you.”

I shake my head. “Bet he doesn’t want to help me now. How are we supposed to make this work if we can’t see eye to eye?”

“You do.”

“What? No. He thinks Maverick should be off the team.”

Luke pursues his lips, fidgeting with his pen while he hunts down the right words.

I wait it out, my leg bobbing beneath the table.

“Look, sis, I wasn’t there to witness the argument. But I think he was angry because you got hurt and he wasn’t there to protect you… and then I think he was annoyed that you lied about it… and no doubt a little hurt when you told him not to bother coming to the competition.” His smile is tender, and he goes back to rubbing my hand again. “But you told the truth today. You made it right, and I know you can do the same with Jack. Just tell him how you feel and that you didn’t mean everything you said yesterday.”

I huff and shake my head. “I would have if he hadn’t taken off! I was about to go tell him.” I flick my hand toward the hallway, lamenting the fact that I face another long, cold night alone.

I miss him with an ache I can’t fix, and it’s killing me.

“Yeah, well…” Luke shrugs. “You can tell him off for being a broody fool when you talk to him.”

“Think he’ll even let me talk to him?”

“He’s slow to process, but he’s not a ten-year-old brat with a grudge.”

I snicker and shake my head, then mirror my brother’s smile. “Thanks, Luke. You know, you’re not half bad at this brother thing.”

“I think I’m pretty damn awesome at it.”

“Until you yell at your adult sister for kissing your best friend.”

He raises his hands in the air. “It’s weird, okay? It will forever be weird.”

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