Page 14 of Unsaid Things

Chapter Seven

Marissa lived in a large apartment complex fifteen minutes from her parents’ house. She rented an apartment on the third floor of the building next to the pool and clubhouse, which looked elegant and sophisticated. Built of dark red brick to match the apartment buildings, it had white shutters around the windows and white columns holding up a wide awning over the patio, like something out of an old movie.

Gabby parked and led the way up to Marissa’s apartment, where Marissa answered in a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, a glass of wine in hand. “The pizza should be here in twenty minutes or so. Come in and get some drinks.”

“Wine for me too?” Gabby poked out her lower lip and blinked her eyes at her older sister.

Marissa snorted and shook her head. “Not likely. If you were staying over I’d consider it, but you both have to be in your own beds tonight, so soda or water for you, girly.”

Gabby heaved a dramatic sigh and stomped to the gray, overstuffed couch, slinging her purse on the floor. “Fine.” She flopped into the corner, kicked off her red ballet flats, and put her feet up on the sleek black coffee table. “Be that way.”

Marissa arched an eyebrow at Abby, a smile playing on her lips at her sister’s antics. “I will. Mom and Dad would skin me if you came home with alcohol on your breath, even if it was just a half a glass of wine.”

“Mom lets me have some sometimes,” Gabby whined.

“Well, good for Mom. She’s not here, though, and the answer’s still no. Come stay the night next weekend, and we’ll see.” She moved to the kitchen and turned to Abby. “Do you want some? It’s a Riesling.”

“Sure.” Abby followed Marissa into the kitchen, where she filled a glass for Abby and topped up her own.

“Did you have a nice time with Mom this afternoon? You and Lance both sort of got hijacked. I hope you didn’t mind too much. That’s how our parents are sometimes.” She corked the bottle and propped one hip against the kitchen counter.

Abby sipped her wine, feeling more sophisticated than she did trying to drink beer with Megan at parties. This was more her speed—wine, pizza, a movie, and a couple of people. She’d have to get wine the next time she and Megan had a movie night. Megan could keep her beer if she wanted. “Yeah, it was nice. Your mom insisted on buying stuff for me.”

Gabby’s voice interrupted from the living room. “And she didn’t get me anything!”

Marissa snorted, which Abby had figured out was her usual response to her little sister. “Of course not, brat! Christmas is in two days. You’ll get more presents than any of us. Quit whining.”

Gabby came into the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab a can of soda. “Whatever. Abby, show Marissa your new bag. Marissa’s a bag hag, so she’ll want to see it.”

Marissa’s eyes lit up. “You got a new bag?”

Abby nodded, and retrieved her purse from the dining room chair she’d set it on when they came in. Marissa snatched it from her hands. “Sorry.” She didn’t look or sound sorry, though. “I get excited about bags.” She ran her hands all over the leather, even unzipping the top. “So soft. I’m not snooping, I swear. I just want to see what the storage is like on the inside. I might need one of these.”

Abby laughed. “Snoop away. There’s nothing interesting in there.”

Marissa put it on, going over to the mirror hanging at the end of the hall and flipping on the light, turning this way and that to see how the bag looked on her. “I love it. I have to have one. Where’d you get it?” She took it off and handed it back to Abby.

“Dillards.”

Gabby clapped in the background. “Yay!”

Raising an eyebrow, Marissa picked up her wine from the counter. “What are you so excited about?”

“If you get one, that means I can borrow it.”

Marissa snorted again. “Keep telling yourself that, kid.”

“I will. And eventually you’ll say yes.” Gabby sounded so sure of herself that Abby didn’t doubt her. All three of the Kane kids seemed to have inherited their mother’s force of personality. Marissa might not let Gabby borrow her purse at first, but Gabby seemed like the type to keep pestering until she got her way.

“Speaking of, you still haven’t given back the sweater you borrowed last month. With that kind of track record, I’m not going to let you borrow something new and special.”

Gabby waved a hand. “Remind me tomorrow night or on Christmas when you’re at the house, and I’ll give it back then.”

A knock at the door interrupted them. “Pizza’s here!” Marissa grabbed her wallet off the little table next to the door and opened it, paying for the pizza and setting the box on the dining room table. Gabby got out plates and napkins, and they all helped themselves.

“I can pitch in if you want,” Abby offered.

Marissa shook her head, taking a bite of the Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza. “Don’t worry about it,” she said around her mouthful. “My treat.”

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