Page 64 of Rumi: The Hawthornes

“Well, I just wish we could help you more,” Nana said, leaning back in her chair and pulling out a cigarette. “That’s all.”

“You let me live here,” I pointed out with a smile. “Even though I work two jobs and I’m a grown-ass adult. I think that qualifies as you helping me out.”

“Who’s a grown-ass adult?” Pop asked as he followed us outside.

“Nova,” Bird answered, his mouth still full.

Pop scoffed. “She’s still a pup.”

“I disagree with that statement,” I joked as he passed me, flicking my ponytail. He sat down in the chair next to Nana’s.

“That’s right,” Bird said, grinning like an idiot. “She’s a full-grown dog and don’t you forget it.”

“Shut it, buttface,” I shot back, pretending to throw my roasting stick at him like a spear.

“It’s starting to feel like spring, finally,” Nana said, ignoring us as she tilted her head back to sniff the air.

“I can’t wait until summer,” I replied with a sigh.

I was doing a damn good job pretending that everything was fine, but if I lifted my hands out in front of me, I knew I’d still see them trembling. Split-second memories of Rumi banging that beautiful woman on his couch kept popping into my head, interspersed with the feeling of being pulled toward the road as it raced past. If it was up to me, I would’ve gone to my room and curled up in a ball on my bed until I had to go to work the next day, but as I looked around the fire at my family, I knew I couldn’t leave. They were so excited for me.

“You gonna slow down on work now?” Pop asked casually, poking my pant leg with a marshmallow stick.

“Why the hell would I do that?” I grinned at him. “Not sure what I’d do if I wasn’t working.”

“Nova doesn’t have a life,” Bird chimed in.

“I do too!”

He made a buzzer sound and gave me a thumbs-down. “Even when you’re not working, you barely go anywhere.”

“I go to Rumi’s,” I argued. My stomach churned.

“When does Meg come home from school?” Nana asked. “You always had fun with her.”

“I’m not sure,” I mused. “Sometime in June, I think.”

“Well, why don’t you ask her?”

“She’s—” I waved my hand. “Off doing school stuff. New friends and all that.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Nana replied. “She was your best friend.”

“Rumi’s my best friend,” I corrected automatically. My heart started to race and I took a deep breath, trying to ignore and forget his hands on that woman’s skin.

“Meg will be home this summer and I’m sure she has all kinds of plans to go out,” I said. I turned to Pop. “I need to bring in my car tomorrow if you think someone will have time to look at it.”

“Gonna get that door fixed?”

“It flew open when we were drivin’,” Bird practically shouted. “Nova almost fell out.”

“Say what, now?” Pop barked.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” I countered, glaring at Bird. Why the hell did he think it was a good idea to tell our grandparents that?

“I’ve been tellin’ you for a month to get that door checked,” Pop snapped.

“I’ve been busy.”

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