Page 80 of The Apple Tree

She gulped and nodded.

Just hours earlier, I made fun of her for having a crush on her math teacher. Oh the irony.

“I’ve met someone who I really like. And I was with him tonight. But he’s older, and as we know, Mom and Dad don’t like when their daughters fall for older guys.”

Had I fallen for Kyle? Yes. A thousand times yes.

Was a month long enough to fall in love? I didn’t know. I hadn’t been in love before.

Yet, he was determined to keep me at arm’s length while he decided if I was more than a casual date, a one-night stand. But dang, when he kissed me and told me to go be mad, I lost a part of my heart, left it on the ground by his boots. No one had ever let me be myself without fearing punishment, harsh judgment, or disappointment, until Kyle.

“How old?” Gabby asked.

“Twenty-eight.”

“What?!”

“Shh!”

She slapped her hand over her mouth.

I frowned. She was already proving to be too young to handle my secret.

“You made fun of me for calling Mr. Collins sexy, and you’re seeing someone his age?”

Oh, Gabby …

“I’m sorry.” I wrinkled my nose. “That was wrong of me. You were right.”

“What do you mean I was right?”

“Mr. Collins is hot.”

“Pfft. Duh.” And then the lightbulb came on. It started with her whole body freezing for several seconds.

The wheels were turning to keep the light on.

Then her eyes swelled to saucers again as her jaw dropped.

A blush crawled up my neck to my face, and I bit back my grin.

She shot off the toilet seat and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. “You are totally joking. Right? Right?Right?”

I slowly shook my head.

Something in my sister died. She released a breath that seemed reminiscent of someone being stabbed in the gut. Even her torso buckled a fraction as she stepped away from me. “Why does this keep happening?” she whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Sarah take the best ones. I liked him first.”

“Oh, Gabby.” I hugged her. “You’re his student.”

“But now I can’t dream about him because he’s yours. And Mom and Dad are going to be so mad, and I’ll have to live through the Sarah incident all over again.”

“Oh, no, Gabbs …” I rubbed her back. “Sarah had something much more tragic happen; I hope you don’t have to go through that with me. And”—I released her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it—“I don’t know if he’s truly mine or ever will be. But even if that happens, you can still dream about him because heisdreamy.”

And stubborn.

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