Page 54 of His Property

My heart leaps from my chest, but I don a friendly smile and try to look as calm as I can. I wave, and Mae continues toward me.

“Hey,” I say, letting my eyes dip to her body for a moment. “You look nice.”

“Yeah, same for you.” She gestures toward my button-down shirt and slacks. I look for fear in her expression and voice, but I find none. “What are you doing here?”

I look away and nervously chuckle while running my hands through my hair, destroying what’s left of the careful combover I spent too much time and gel on.

Does she hate me?

Shemusthate me.

This was a bad idea.

“Well,” I drop my hand and meet her eyes. “My sister is pretty freaked out right now, which I understand but don’t know how to fix. And I kind of exaggerated the closeness of our relationship. I told her I was going to your church thing tonight, and I’m trying harder not to lie.”

Mae frowns and nods sympathetically. “It seems like there’s a lie or two you told her in there, but good for you for taking baby steps.” A moment passes. “How is she?”

Not great.

I shrug. “I don’t know. She hasn’t really talked to me. She has a hard time with mobility, so she needs me to help her out with some things, but part of me suspects she’s going to hire a nurse soon.”

Mae nods and doesn’t say anything, and it’s obvious that this is the time to tell her my real reason for being here.

I clear my throat and take a breath to slow my rapidly beating heart. “So, I uh. I need to ask you for a favor.”

She raises her brows and waits for me to continue.

“I get that you probably never want to see me again, and that you don’t owe me shit, and I know you have no reason to sympathize with me, but…”

“But?”

I sigh, shove my hands in my pockets, and walk several feet from the door when people come up to the entrance. Mae follows.

“ButI was wondering if you would be willing to talk to my sister? And maybe pretend to not hate me?” I raise my hands. “Before you say no, please understand it isn’t for me. I am literally the only person in the world my sister has, and she has health problems that prevent her from a lot. Sheneedsme. I’m scared she’s going to move out or do something reckless. She thinks I’m lying to her when I say I didn’t force you to do anything, and I just need you to tell her that isn’t the case.Please?”

A lump forms in my throat, and I stop breathing while I wait for Mae to answer. Fear isn’t something I feel very often, but the past few days I’ve been drowning in it. There are so many things in this world that would terrify anyone else while not phasing me. But the idea of losing Gabi is unbearable.

Mae frowns. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. If I did, I wouldn’t lie to her.”

“I don’t want you to.”

Well, maybe a little.

“What if she asks me for specifics?”

I don’t answer because I hadn’t thought that far in advance. I was hoping for maybe a two-minute conversation, not a full-on interrogation of every fucked up thing I’m into.

But it couldn’t possibly be worse than what Gabi is imagining. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gabi assumed Mae was dead right now.

“Look, I understand better than anyone what it’s like to want to hide who you are from your family,” Mae says, still frowning. “Idosympathize with you. And if you really want me to talk to your sister, I will. Just be sure it’s what you want because I mean it, I won’t lie to her for you.”

I nod as a weight lifts from my chest. For the first time in two days, I can finally breathe. The only solace there has been is my mom not showing up at my house, and even that has taken a back seat to everything else.

“Thank you,” I say, deflating.

She nods. “No problem.” She looks away and thinks for a moment before going back to me. “I don’t hate you.”

Another weight lifts. Any more, and I’ll feel like I could fly.

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