Page 86 of I Can't Even

Bang. Bang. Bang.

“Julia, what are you doing in there?” Paisley called through the door.

I glanced at the handle. It was locked. Phew!

“I’m coming, Paisley.” I crouched on the sill so it sounded as if I was more in the room than out. “I just need to get dressed, since Em is in the shower. We’ll be down in a few minutes. Have Soph make you some eggs—hers are the best.”

Paisley had seen me at my worst earlier. There was no way she could be suspicious or argue with my need for a change of clothes.

“We’ll see about that,” Paisley said. “And you’d better hurry up. I don’t have all day.”

I sucked in a breath. Given that I was pretty sure she was up to something, I figured she had all the time in the world whereas I did not.

“Psst.”

I glanced down. Liam stood there with an extendable ladder. My eyes went wide as I gaped at him. A ladder? I could have kissed him!

“Come on,” he said, casting a worried glance at the house.

He didn’t have to say it twice. He gently propped the ladder on the side of the house, and I shimmied down it like I climbed up and down ladders every day.

Shouldering the ladder, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the backyard behind the cover of the enormous lemon tree. Then he leaned the ladder against the wall between our yards and gestured for me to go. He was right behind me, and I tried not to be distracted by the fact that he was eye level with my butt. Focus, Jules, focus!

I jumped from the top of the wall, and he followed. He tipped the ladder toward us and pulled it over, dropping it to the ground. We both jumped when it rattled, and he stood on tiptoe to peer into our yard and see if Paisley was about to come flying out of the house.

Weak from nerves, I sank onto the thick grass and put my hands over my eyes. I could not believe I’d just had to climb out the window to escape my greedy cousin.

“One quick question,” Liam said.

I moved my hands and opened one eye. “What?”

“Where is Em?” he said.

“The app I have tracking her says she’s on the beach,” I said.

“You’re tracking her?”

“Do not be judgy. My sisters are a handful.”

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll drive you down to the beach.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“I’m not doing it for you.” Liam looked cranky again. “I’m doing it for Em and Soph.”

I sighed. “Whatever.”

We crept around the side of his house, where he kept his pickup parked. He grabbed his keys and we climbed in. I scooted down in the seat on the off-chance Paisley was still measuring for curtains and might see me.

Once we cleared the street, I popped up, scanning the road in case Em suddenly appeared. I checked the app on my phone and saw that she was still on the beach. Good grief, had she slept there? Was she toying with becoming an unemployed transient? Was an intervention required?

Liam reached across the console and took my hand in his. He gave my fingers a quick reassuring squeeze. “Relax. Em is okay and we’ll get her home with Paisley none the wiser.”

He sounded so sure that I took a deep breath and blew it out. In my mind I saw him again with Courtney wrapped around him like a poisonous vine. I removed my hand from his and stared out the window. There was so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to explain but I couldn’t seem to get the words out around the big bubble of hurt in my chest. So, I said nothing.

When we arrived at the beach, Liam double parked and we jumped out of the truck. A crowd had gathered at the water’s edge. Had something happened? Had there been a shark attack? Is that why Em hadn’t answered me?

I broke into a run, stomping down the rocky path, skidding a few times in my race to get to my sister. Liam was right behind me. We jumped onto the sandy beach and sprinted toward the mass of people. I elbowed my way through the bodies not caring that I was being rude.

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