Page 9 of Flights and Sights

I nodded, relief at being free of conversation with my uncles washing over me. “That sounds great.”

We said goodbye to everyone in the garage and Charlie led the way down the driveway and to the sidewalk. We were quiet for a few moments, until it felt like we’d safely cleared the property line and the zone of eavesdropping by the half-dozen preteens who were still bouncing around.

As we walked, I let the conversation flow, asking about Charlie. “How’s it going? Seeing anyone these days?”

He snorted and shook his head. “Negative.”

“You have, like, all the choices. How are you still single?”

“Just because I’m bi doesn’t mean I sleep with anyone and everyone,” he protested.

“Okay, but you do.”

“Eh. What about you? Seeing anyone?”

Paxton’s face drifted through my mind and I shook my head to clear it away. “Not lately. You know me. Bad luck with romance.”

After a quiet moment, he spoke again. “Do you ever think you might want to reconnect with Jacob?”

I snapped my gaze in his direction and narrowed my eyes. “Absolutely not.” Jacob had been my first serious adult relationship. At one point, I even thought we were going to get married.

Charlie grimaced. “It was that bad?”

“Charlie.” My tone was a warning.

“What? You never really went into details.”

I shrugged and kicked a pebble on the sidewalk. “He was just terrible. Manipulative. A liar. Cheated on me—a lot. I stuck around way too long. I should’ve known better. Left sooner. And he’s so fucking charming to everyone else, I knew nobody would believe me.”

“I believe you.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“Is that why you took that job on the East Coast all those years ago? To get away from Jacob?”

I laughed once, bitterly. “It was a definite perk.” After Jacob and I split, I’d bailed on small-town life, promising myself I’d only return to visit my family. I never wanted to live near him again. I’d taken a small-time job at a magazine across the country and eventually was hired as a feature travel writer at Connection Monthly. And besides these family reunions, I hadn’t looked back. “Why are you asking me about Jacob now?”

Charlie cleared his throat. “I need to tell you something.”

My eyebrows shot up and my stomach went sour in anticipation. “What?” I asked warily.

“It’s about Jacob.”

My mouth tasted like acid. “What about Jacob?”

“He’s dating Angie.”

“Angie?” I asked, confused. Angie was another cousin, one on my dad’s side. Charlie nodded silently, hands stuffed in the pockets of his tight jeans. When he didn’t follow up, I stopped walking. “Really?”

He exhaled slowly. “I didn’t want to tell you, but I also didn’t want you to find out when they show up this weekend.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Angie’s coming this weekend and she’s bringing Jacob.” I didn’t know why it wasn’t sinking in. I took a slow breath to steady myself. “Why would she do that?”

“They’ve been dating for a few months now. Six, maybe. I don’t know. I just found out today. Your dad mentioned it.”