Page 25 of I Knew You Were Trouble

“You gonna get that one?” He nods to an all-white tree with white lights twinkling in between the fake needles.

“No.”

“Why not? It’s your favorite color.”

“Ha ha.” I bump him with my shoulder. “Why don’t you get it?”

“Demi likes purple.”

My brow furrows. “Who’s Demi?” Maybe she’s that girl who was with him at Troublemakers. Does he live with his girlfriend? Or have a girl roommate? If he has a girlfriend, is she okay with him hanging out one-on-one with me?

His dimple pops up again as he watches my inner struggle that’s clearly written all over my non-poker face. “She’s my sister.”

A warm sense of relief cracks open like a water balloon, dripping down from my crown to my toes. “You live with your sister?”

“Yes, but not that one.”

I wrinkle my nose and cross my arms, my clothes swinging from my forefinger. “You’re doing that on purpose. Being ambiguous.”

“Maybe.”

“Well, stop it.”

He chuckles and reaches for the box with a bright purple tree picture on the front. “I live with my older sister, Maddie. Demi is the baby.”

“And you’re buying a purple tree for someone who doesn’t live with you…”

“She’s gonna spend Christmas with us this year,” he says through a strained voice as he hoists the box upright. “I want to make it special for her.”

My eyes widen, and my heart swells, and he calls me out.

“You can hold your awww for a later date.”

“Well, now I don’t want to,” I tease then drop my eyes to the giant box. “How are you going to get it home on Gertrude?”

He looks surprised that I remember his hog’s name. “They got delivery.”

“I can drive it for you if you want.” It’s not like I have anywhere to be. Art class and work are the only things I ever do, and I don’t have either today. “Plenty of cargo space in my ride.”

“No thanks,” he says so fast I jerk back and kink my neck.

“Don’t want me knowing where you live?” I say it like a joke, but he nods.

“After being at your house? Hell no.”

Well, that sucks. I equally hate and love having money. People who stick around me usually are using me because of my money, and people who don’t care about it often feel intimidated. Maybe I should ask Dad to cut me off…

After art school.

“If it helps, I don’t pay for my house,” I say, annoyance dabbing at the edge of my voice. I shake my head slightly, hoping the irritation will go away.

His brow lifts, and that dimple of his is still twitching. Thank goodness he’s still being light-hearted. “That just makes it super unfair.”

I let out a soft laugh and back up a step as he tosses the box up on his shoulder. “Are you sure?” I prod. The box wobbles, and I worry about him making it to check out, let alone home. “Last chance.”

“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.” He waves me forward, and I lean in close enough to smell his breath. Cherry candy canes. Hmm… Maybe he saw Santa. “I recently came into some money,” he says with a knowing glint in his golden eyes, “and I’m okay paying the twenty-five dollar delivery fee.”

I shove him, his cherry candy cane breath making me a bit weak at the knees, and I do not need that from Pete. “I was only being courteous.”

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