Page 20 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions

“Why, Alex?” June slammed on the brakes, the truck screeching to a halt at a stop sign she’d only now noticed. Fuck, she was the worst driver I’d ever had the displeasure of riding with. Because of our dad’s recent accident, I was even more on edge. I could feel my pulse skittering as she hit the gas again, accelerating fast enough the wheels squealed. The engine roared, this angry, awful sound—that she ignored.

Of course she did.

She ignored lots of things—like my attempts to thwart her plans, and my protests.

An engine light popped up on June’s dash, and before I could point it out, she slammed her fist on the glass until it turned off.

“Stupid thing.”

“You should get that checked,” I replied, attempting to change the subject. “Just because the light is off now doesn’t mean you fixed the underlying issu?—”

“You should get yourbrainchecked,” June interrupted. “Whydid you piss him off, Alex?”

I blew out a breath. I should’ve left it at “he’s cute” and let her think whatshe wanted.

“I only teased him alittle,” I defended, as if that made it any better.

“What, did ignoring him like you have with every other plus-one I’ve arranged not work? So you had to outrightantagonizehim?”

I didn’t know what to say to that, called out as I was.

“You make it really fucking hard to set you up with somebody,” June growled.

“Did it ever occur to you that I might be doing that onpurpose?” I replied, more biting than I’d intended. “I don’t want you to set me up with people. I have told you that, repeatedly.”

Play nice, Alex.

Stop antagonizing the dragon.

“I don’t know why you thought setting me up with a Milton would go any better,” I muttered. “Way fucking worse, actually. Because I actually know his family.”

“Ihoped,” June stressed, “that the fact we know his family might make you act like less of a dick.”

“Yeah, well. Sorry to disappoint.”

“I don’t get you,” June lamented. “You want a partner to spoil. You want a family. You want kids. And yet, you’re allergic to monogamy. You do realize you can’t have the picket-fence kinda life you want without dating someone first, right?”

“I know.”

“Then why do you choose to be such an asshole? You’re intentionally self-sabotaging. Not a cute look, dude. At all.” June’s words hurt more than she’d intended them to. She cared about me. More than anyone had ever cared about me. We’d literally shared a womb. And since the day she could walk, she’d made it her mission in life to look out for me.

She’d always given me everything I’d ever asked for.

All her toys. All her treats. All her attention.

She was the best sister in the world.

So why did I always feel the need to…to upset her like this?

Maybe something really was wrong with me.

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. I genuinely felt like a dick. “I…I honestly don’t know.”

Maybe I did know, though.

Because any time I’d given someone a part of myself that was vulnerable, they’d crushed it. There was no point trying. Not when I needed too much. When my heart was an open, gaping black hole—and I was “too much” for anyone to handle. George had certainly thought so, if the way he’d bolted from me as soon as he could was any indicator.

“I know.” June wilted, taking a hand off the wheel—oh god—to give my shoulder a squeeze. Her hand was so fucking tiny. Ridiculously so. Sometimes it was difficult to believe we’d been the same size at birth.

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