Page 82 of Play For Me

Apparently, she’s not picking up on how close I am to losing my temper—that or she doesn’t care. “She’s always with a different guy?—”

“Shit, Em,” Jay mutters. “Are you seriously slut shaming someone?”

She rolls her eyes. “I don’t care how many guys she sleeps with! I’m just saying, she’s a one-night stand kind of girl.” Sheglares at her brother. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. I just think that makes her wrong forSol.”

“Why?” Jay asks. “Sol only does the one-night thing, too. Sounds like they’re perfect together.”

“You and I both know he wants more than one night with her. He’s been obsessed with that girl since her freshman year.”

“Do I need to be here for this conversation?” I cut in. “Because I just got off a five-hour bus ride and I’m pretty sure you guys can do your Miller-sibling bickering somewhere else.”

Em gives her brother one more glare before turning back to me. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I meet her eyes so she’ll know how serious I am. “I know you worry about me. I know you want what’s best for me. I’m asking you to leave this alone.”

Her mouth opens, and then closes again. “Sol?—”

“I’m serious, Em. Whatever happens with me and Cecelia is none of your business. I’m a grown ass adult and I can handle myself.”

She looks hurt. “I know you can handle yourself.”

“Do you? Because last night you offered to drive a few hundred miles just because I saw my mother.”

Her eyes go wide and they look a little wet. Yup, definitely hurt. I know I should feel bad, but I’m too annoyed. I had one of the best nights of my life last night and now my best friends—people who are more family to me than my actual blood—are here acting like I’m a little kid who needs protecting.

“I know that I don’t always handle stress very well,” I grit out. “I know that it isn’t always easy to be my friend?—”

“Sol!” Em gasps while Jay sits up straight and barks out, “bullshit!”

I hold up my hands. “I’m just saying, I appreciate everything the two of you do for me.” I meet Em’s eyes. She’s full out cryingnow, and I feel shitty, but I need to say this. “Cecelia is not something I need to be protected from, okay?”

She nods as she wipes her eyes, but by her silence I know she doesn’t really believe me.

“And for the record,” I add. “She did offer a sympathetic ear. And when I told her I didn’t want to talk, she stayed anyway. She made me food and brought me a LEGO set, and she didn’t make me feel like an idiot for needing any of those things.”

Em gapes at me while Jay whoops. “She took my advice then? That’s awesome.”

I think about the newspaper and can’t help but smile. She did more than take his advice. She showed me that she’d been noticing things on her own, that she knew me.

“Oh my God,” Jay crows, pointing at my expression. “You totally banged her!”

“Jesus,” I mutter, rubbing my face. “The two of you are something else. If it’s not a lecture from her it’s total idiocy from him.”

“That’s not a no,” Jay yells, knocking my hands away from my face. “I want details. Tell me everything.”

“Get out,” I say flatly, and he cackles.

I can sense the shock emanating from Em’s direction, but I ignore it. I meant what I said—I don’t need her opinion on anything to do with Cecelia.

My phone chooses that moment to ding in my pocket and I reach for it automatically, hoping it’s her. I don’t realize until I’m tapping the message that I probably should have tried to play it cool in front of them, but Jay’s gleeful little noise reminds me.

“Is that her? Does she want round two?”

I ignore him, and tap out a response to Cecelia’s message.

Cecelia:Home yet?

Me:Unfortunately.