Page 34 of False Start

"So…" Denise looks up at me hesitantly. "Volunteering…" She trails off, and I smirk.

"Was there a question in there?"

She shrugs.

"Just wondering if that's a regular thing for you or…" She sighs.

"Or what?" I prod.

"Or if you came hoping to run into me?"

I rear back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I already told you I didn't know you'd be there. You think I'm a stalker?" The thought makes me queasy.

"I didn't say that!" she insists, but her tone is defensive.

"So what? You thought I reached out to Maya,since we're such good friends," I add sarcastically, "and asked her when you'd be at the center so I could surprise you? Then I lied about it, so well I even fooledmyself, and helped you with your class so you'd invite me back to your apartment?"

The nerve of this woman! I stand and start pacing, unable to stay seated when I'm this angry.

"The sex was good, but notyou need a restraining ordergood. OK?"

We glare at each other, locked in a standoff, before she blows out a resigned breath.

"OK…My bad, I guess. It just seemed like too big of a coincidence." She raises an eyebrow. "And you're not exactly the volunteering type."

I roll my eyes.

"Not the volunteering type?And how would you know that? From all the revealing conversations we've had about our personal lives? If memory serves, one wrong question has you running for the hills."

I glare at her even harder now, and she glares right back.

"For your information, Iamthe volunteering type. I already told you I help Damon out with his basketball clinics. Ialsovolunteer helping new Korean immigrants practice their English."

Denise's shoulders deflate.

"I…I had no idea."

"How would you know? I don't go around spouting off my good deeds, looking for extra credit. I guess I should, seeing as how everyone thinks I'm some selfish douchebag who gets off on hurting people's feelings."

I'm used to this shit from my brothers. When you have siblings, it's impossible not to fall into a role that you get stuck playing for the rest of your life. I don't know why it bothers me that Denise makes the same assumptions, but it does.

I rush to gather my empty food containers. Denise stands and puts her hand on my shoulder before I can leave to throw them away.

"I apologize, Cory." When I turn back to look at her, her eyes are sincere. "You helped me today, and I judged you unfairly."

"Damn right you did," I mutter. But her genuine apology makes it hard to stay mad.

"That was very uncool of me," she continues. "I'm the first to admit I can be a tad judgmental sometimes, especially when it comes to people who mess with my girls."

"But that's just it!" I almost wail. "I chose to volunteer at the center to try to fix things with Maya. She's mysisternow! The more I get to know her, the more I like her." I slump down onto the couch, defeated. "She really did just catch me on a bad day and I'm fuckingsorryfor what I said."

Denise comes back to sit next to me, her expression guarded.

"I can tell you're trying and I think that's great, but Maya called me in tears after that night. I find it hard to believe just a bad day had you saying all that."

I drop my head into my hands.Fuck it.Everyone's gonna come to their own conclusions, anyway. They may as well base them on the truth.

---