Page 58 of The Comeback Summer

But it doesn’t have to be tonight.

I let out a giant yawn that hopefully isn’t so big she doubts its sincerity. “I’m beat,” I say.

Hannah looks at me like I just told her I was going to go jump off the roof naked. “But this is the funniest scene,” she says, flabbergasted.

“It’s okay,” I say, yawning again. “I’ve seen it before.”

My sister narrows her eyes; clearly, she doesn’t buy this pathetic act of mine. But it’s too risky to message Adam out here.

The other night, Hannah caught me smiling down at my phone and I panicked and told her I was texting Suji, a woman who’s been renting a desk from us. It wasn’t a total lie; Suji did message me last week to see if I wanted to go out to lunch, but I’m trying to be good about saving money. We grabbed coffee instead, and we’ve been doing it almost every day since.

I didn’t realize how much I’d started to dread going into the office until I started looking forward to it—thanks, in part, to Suji. And the constant chatting with Adam.

It’s strange being so happy.

One more yawn, and I stand up. Mr.Darcy looks at me like I’ve lost my marbles, too.

“Good night,” I tell them both and head back to my room, opening the One+One app as I go.

ADAMR:For the record, aging parents are 6/10

ADAMR:I mean, the fact that they’re still here and kicking is like 9/10. But it can be a lot.

ADAMR:Anyway, how have you been?

I climb on my bed and lean against the wall of pillows, feeling like a teenage girl with a crush. And it hits me: I have a crush on Adam.

Well, shit.

This is not good. It’s really, really not good. Especially sincehe doesn’t even know I exist. He knows Hannah, or the Hannah I’ve been pretending to be.

So, for the life of me, I don’t know why I’m still smiling. And why I’m tapping out a new message to him. But if I stop now, it would be like stopping a book with only a few pages left. And I have to know how this story ends, even if it ends with me standing alone in a puddle of tears.

HANNAHF:Hi! Are your parents doing okay?

ADAMR:They’ll be fine. Just having a hard time realizing there are things they can’t do anymore.

HANNAHF:Like what?

ADAMR:Driving. Running the restaurant. Changing lightbulbs in the ceiling. Juggling with knives.

HANNAHF:With knives?!?

ADAMR:Just seeing if you were paying attention. ;)

HANNAHF:To every word

Cringe.That was too much. Hannah is not the type of girl who openly swoons—and this whole thing will fall apart if Adam meets the real Hannah and realizes she’s nothing like the girl he’s been talking to. I need to start acting more like my sister.Stat.

I close my eyes and take a focused breath.Hannah.My beautiful, smart, athletic, logical, slightly murdery sister. OnceI feel a little more Hannah-y, I open my eyes and try to get our conversation back on a safe track.

HANNAHF:Are your parents still married?

ADAMR:Forty years

ADAMR:They were older parents when they had me

ADAMR:How about you? Your parents.

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