Page 9 of I Can't Even

They nodded.

“And she still hates him, correct?”

Again, they nodded.

“And yet you didn’t tell me?” I asked. “You really didn’t think this was something I might want to know to prepare myself in case I ran into him? Or worse, if Babs decided to drop this A-bomb on me over the phone?”

“Well, gees, Jules, you guys broke up like a million years ago,” Em said. “I didn’t think it was still that big of a deal.”

I rose up on my knees and peered over the desk into Liam’s bedroom. I motioned for her to follow me. Both Em and Soph popped up next to me, so the only things visible over the edge of the desk were our noses and eyes.

“Look at him,” I hissed. “That is the man I gave my virginity to, the man I thought I would marry, the only man who has ever brought me to orgasm with just a glance. In a hundred years, running into him would still be a big deal.”

“I can see that,” Soph said. “My goodness, he has muscles in places I didn’t even know you could have muscles. Sheesh, is it hot in here?” She began to fan herself with her hands.

“Um, you’re kind of oversharing, Jules,” Em said. Even in the dark I could see she was blushing. “But, yes, I see that he is a fine specimen, not obnoxiously bulky but just right, and, like super defined. It’s almost as if he’s in high def.”

“Yeah,” I said. “High def enough to make me want to lick the window.”

Soph snorted and Em looked confused. It occurred to me that we’d failed our baby sister spectacularly in the appreciation of the male form department. Good thing I was here to correct the error.

As much as I loved ogling my ex-boyfriend with my sisters, I didn’t think my poor heart could take much more. The riot of emotions coursing through me made it difficult to function. I needed to compartmentalize.

With one last lingering glance at Liam, okay, more accurately Liam’s butt, I forced myself to turn away. “All right, so why did you two come up here?”

Soph and Em exchanged confused glances before saying in unison, “Dinner!”

It was then that I heard the very distinct sound of thumping coming from downstairs. Babs!

I dove for my hair straightener. Sophie unplugged it from the wall, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into the hallway.

“But—” I protested.

“No time,” she said.

Em led the way. We barreled down the stairs and jogged into the great room where Babs sat with her afghan on her lap and her face squinched up on one side like she’d just bitten into a something sour. There was a cane beside her that I hadn’t noticed before and I suspected was the source of the thumping noise I had heard earlier.

Mom glanced at the three of us, her disapproval obvious in the tight line of her lips. “Are we planning on eating tonight or are we on a newfangled starvation diet?”

“Dinner’s ready, Mom,” Em said patiently. “I’ll set the table...unless you’d rather eat here instead?”

Babs simply stared at each of us as if considering how difficult it would be to share a meal with all three of her daughters. I tried not to take it personally, suspecting it was my presence that put her off. Finally, she gave Em a sharp nod. “Dining room.”

Equal measures of relief and dread surged inside of me.

“I’ll help with dinner,” Sophie said.

“Me, too—” I began but Babs cut me off.

“You, sit,” she said.

Mom pointed a bony finger at me and then at the armchair beside her. I sat. Twenty-seven years old and I still jumped when she spoke in that commander-in-chief voice. Seriously, Babs had untapped potential; she could easily have been a world leader, devouring smaller nations and leaving death and destruction in her wake.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked.

Well, that was...civil. I studied her. Now that I was rested, I could see that her face was thinner and more lined than I remembered. Her eyes were glassy and her skin crepe-like. For once my sisters had not exaggerated. Babs looked distinctly unwell. It made me uneasy.

“Yes,” I said. “Longer than I intended, actually.”

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