Page 138 of Hot Mess
Dani glared at me. Then she turned and walked away.
I sighed and went after her, ignoring the looky-loos who’d stopped to stare. She headed outside, and I found her bumming a joint off some college boys on the sidewalk. I hooked my arm through hers and dragged her away, ignoring their hormone fueled protests.
“Holy shit, I think they’retwins…” one of them moaned.
Yeah. If I had a quarter for every time I heard those words out of some horny dude’s mouth…
I stood my sister against the building, back out of the way of the crowds on the sidewalk. Way too many drunk people. I needed to go home and just sleep this shit off.
But I just stood there and took the joint Daniella offered. I took a little puff and handed it back to her.
“I’ll get us a cab,” I said.
She said nothing.
And I didn’t move.
I knew it was a sore spot, and if we hadn’t been wasted, I never would’ve let her get into a fight with me about Jackson.
My twin sister was all untouchable on the outside. Confident and even cold. She never let anyone slow her down.
But I knew her heart. And Jackson Blake, once upon a time, had ripped it right in two.
The fact that I’d had a part to play in that, however small, would never be right with me.
I glanced half-heartedly up the street, watching for a cab. There were a few other groups of people teetering on the curb, obviously looking to flag one down. It was probably gonna take a while.
Maybe I should’ve just gone home with Ashley.
I sighed.
“You think I want you to be an unhappy spinster?” my sister accused quietly. I looked over at her. “You think that’s what I want for you? To be miserable and alone and collecting cats because you let all the guys who made your heart throb pass you by, because you were all worried it might hurt my feelings that they liked you instead of me? You think I want that for you? Really?”
“No,” I admitted.
“Why would I want that? I mean, if you do end up an unhappy spinster, we both know I’m the one who’s gonna be stuck with you.”
“Yeah.”
“Can you please just promise me if you really want this guy, you’ll give it a chance? Give yourself a chance to decide what you want, instead of making your decisions based on what you think I feel?”
I stared at her. “You really won’t be mad at me if I hook up with him? Or… hurt?”
“No,” she said firmly. “I told you already. I’m not into him. He’s not my type. And besides, I really, really like the way you get all flustered and stupid when you say his name.”
I felt a smile tugging at my mouth.
“Like this?Ashley…”
“Yeah.” My sister smirked. “Like that.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah.”
Maybe I finally believed her.
