Page 20 of Show Off

“I threw it in the trash becausemakgeolli sucks.” I start pulling things from the fridge. A block of good cheddar, butter from Tia’s farm. I made fresh tomato soup yesterday, so that’ll go great with grilled cheese. “Did you grab bread?”

“I know you’re lying.” He wheels around to watch me work. “Want to know how?”

Absolutely not. “The bread?—”

“Here.” He yanks a loaf from the shopping bag in his lap, waving it around like a magician before tossing it at my chest. I catch it easily, turning away so I won’t see him watching me.

“I also grabbed two of their zucchini chocolate chip muffins,” he continues. “Patti and Colleen said to tell you hello.”

“Thanks.” I set to work making his favorite grilled cheese, slicing Asian pears thin enough to tuck between slices of brioche. Summer’s just getting started, and I glance out the window at little kids splashing in the pond.

We used to play like that. Ji-Hoon would dunk me, then run off laughing as I chased him down the shore. When we got bored with that, we’d race around spraying each other like dipshits with water guns.

Mom and Dad stood in the sand holding hands, both in shirts with the Yang’s Spicy Sauce logo. They wore them everywhere, loyal to their role as the happy, family-friendly faces of the brand.

Know what’s nuts?

It wasn’t an act. They reallywerethat fucking happy.

“Ow.” I glance at my finger, annoyed that I’ve nicked the tip with my knife.

“You okay?” Ji-Hoon wheels over, concern etched on his brow.

“I’m fine.” I’m not even bleeding. “Just a scratch.”

Screw soup. I’ll freeze it and do salad instead. Something bright and crisp with the butter lettuce I pulled from the garden and?—

“I know you’re lying about Lana.” Ji-Hoon’s not letting this go. “Want to know how?”

“Nope.”

“I just saw Lana at the café.”

My knife stills in the pear. I don’t meet his eyes, but I’m sure he knows he’s got my attention. “So?”

“So she was talking with her sisters.”

I’m not looking up. I’m not going to ask. I won’t give him the satisfaction of?—

“She said something about me?”

In the corner of my eye, I see Ji-Hoon grin in triumph. “She told Mari she talked with you about theEntertainment Weeklyarticle, so apparently you weren’t lying about that.”

“No shit.” I go back to cutting the pear, making paper-thin slices with the blade of my knife.

My brother keeps going. “Lauren starts grilling her about talking with you yesterday and Lana’s all perky and professional, telling her sisters about the gardens.” He’s smacking his lips now, my butthead big brother. “Then Lana says something about makgeolli.”

“So?” I hate when he turns into super sleuth.

And here’s Ji-Hoon’s big aha moment. “You didn’t take the makgeolli until last night. You saw Lanaafterthat conversation in the garden.”

There’s no point arguing. “You’re getting salad, not soup.” Take that, nosy asshole. “I made too much jalapeño honey dressing, so you’re having that on your salad.”

“Excellent.” Ji-Hoon wheels around to stare right at my face. When he does this, I don’t stand a chance. “You kissed her, didn’t you?”

How does he guess this shit?

When I don’t respond, he grins. “I know because Lauren accused her of having a love-bite on her neck, and instead of denying it, Lana put her hand on her throat.”

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