Page 7 of Just a Little White Lie

With a soft growl, I snatch the envelopes off the table and head for my room, bumping into Jack on the way.

He’s so freaking tall, it’s like facing Mount Everest.

He peers down at me from his lofty height and hisses. “The dreaded envelope system. I know it sucks, but I actually managed to save some decent cash that way. Luke’s a bit of a financial genius.”

I growl again, this time a little louder.

He snickers, mussing my hair like I’m his five-year-old sister or something. “Good to have you home, wildcat.”

“Get out of my way.” I smooth down my hair and move to step around him, but his width is taking up most of the freaking hallway. Stupid old houses with their narrowness and stupid, big, muscly men who smell like something delicious, and argh!

“Move!” I try to shove him, but he doesn’t budge and then ends up laughing.

“Chill out, Tweety Bird. I’m moving.”

He swivels to the side, and I inch past him, aware of his every fiber. His breath skims the top of my head, and I bite my lips together, pausing to watch him walk down the hallway. Of course his butt looks incredible in those shorts.

This is like the worst living situation ever!

Slamming my door shut, I act like the petulant child everyone thinks I am.

Tweety Bird.

I’d forgotten about Jack’s obsession with nicknames. I’m gonna get called everything under the sun.

My lips twitch in spite of my internal angst.

Slapping the envelopes onto my desk, I watch them slide across the shiny surface, then frown as I reach forward to grab them. I hadn’t noticed this at the dining room table, but when I peek into each one, I see Luke has started me off. There’s already two hundred dollars in the one for my parents, eighty in my living expenses, and twenty in my spend envelope.

It feels like a pittance, but it’s something, right?

Luke does care about me. I have to acknowledge that he’s just trying to help. I’m the one who dug myself this mammoth hole and then dived right into it. My brother’s thrown down the rope ladder, and it’s up to me to climb out.

I just hope I have enough strength to make it all the way to the top, because right now, that ladder is looking way too long and extremely unclimbable.

LAUREN

Yep. Super unclimbable.

I sigh, wandering the quaint streets of Cambridge while listening to Luke and his girlfriend, Mallory, talk about the movie we’re planning on seeing this evening. They’re going to shout me a ticket. Part of me wanted to smile sarcastically at the offer, but I managed to morph it to gracious because Luke’s hawk eyes were starting to narrow. I nearly choked on my “Thank you.”

“I just love anything historic, and it was such an interesting time, you know?” Mallory is being all enthusiastic. Her long, willowy fingers are dancing in the air as she talks. She and Luke are such a good match. Both tall and lean and sticklike. If they ever have children, they can become a little forest of gangly arms and giraffe legs.

I smile at the ground, charmed by the idea. It’s kind of cute.

“Yeah, history’s cool, and the fact that this is a war movie is gonna be awesome, but you still can’t pass up a decent sci-fi. Give me aliens with goop exploding out of them any day.” And Jack’s here too. Of course he would say that. I bet he’s just doing it to rile Mallory.

Sure enough, her upper lip curls, and I have to bite my lips together so a smile doesn’t spread. Looking away to hide my expression, I spot a pair of gorgeous red shoes in the shop window.

Hello, pretties. What’s that you say? You want me to try you on?

Why, of course I’ll oblige!

A smile stretches over my face as I head for the shop door. I can already hear Ruby’s voice in my head.Those are so you, Laurie Babe!

Excitement starts to build, and I wish she was here with me…until my brother sticks a pin right in the middle of my little moment.

“Where are you going?” His tone is snippy and irritating.

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