Page 39 of Blame It On the Lattes

Nineteen

Sam

“Don’t you think you’regoing a little overboard on stuff for Cassidy?” I said, frowning as Avery added another set of scented candles to the shopping cart.

“She’s my best friend, and she’s been doing a lot for me lately by helping out with Kennedy.”

Avery had been acting weird ever since she hung up with my sister. Not only did she get two packs of tape and seven rolls of wrapping paper, she was adding an endless amount of crap to the shopping cart that Cassidy definitely didn’t need.

She took off down the next aisle, scanning the scarf and glove sets before I stepped in and blocked her.

“Avery, stop.”

She looked surprised as her eyes struggled to focus on me and not the display behind me.

“I need to finish my shopping,” she insisted. “It was your idea that we did this, remember?”

“Yes. I suggested going shopping and getting stuff for Kennedy while you were able to without having to worry about hiding anything from her. What you’re doing is guilt buying a ton of random shit for my sister, who doesn’t need any of it.”

She opened her mouth to speak but then stopped.

“Does Cassidy know about us?” I asked, stepping closer to her.

She nodded and then began chewing her lower lip.

“Okay.” I stepped to the side and began grabbing stuff from the cart to put back.

“Sam! Don’t! I need that stuff,” she insisted, trying to block me.

“No, baby. You don’t.” I gently pinched her chin between my fingers to force her to look at me. “I don’t care about what Cassidy thinks, and you shouldn’t either. There’s also no need to get her all of this stuff just because you’re hooking up with her brother.”

“What if she’s mad at me for it?”

“Did she sound mad?”

“I don’t know. Kennedy came into the room right as she said it, so she said she had to go. What if she doesn’t want to be my friend anymore because of this?”

“Then she’s stupid, and you deserve better friends.”

“Sam, she’s your sister!”

“I know. And out of everyone, I have the right to call her stupid. It’s a brotherly privilege.”

“That’s not helping anything.”

“And neither is this,” I said, pointing to the shopping cart full of stuff. “Avery, if she can’t be happy for you, then that’s her problem. If she doesn’t want to be your friend because we hooked up, that’s also her problem. But there is absolutely no reason for you to spend this kind of money on trying to suck up to her. Spend it on Kennedy, and whatever you have leftover, spend that on yourself.”

“I don’t like people to be mad at me,” she said sadly. “Especially Cassidy. She’s my best friend.”

“I know. And if I know my sister, she was more surprised by the news than mad. Give her some time; then you guys can talk about it.”

---