Page 22 of Between the Stars

Before I can step over her, she grabs my foot and I trip, driving my head right into the wall.

“Kids!” Mom barks from the kitchen. “Knock it off!”

I don’t know why she’s screaming at us. This is what we were like growing up, but I suppose she didn’t anticipate her two twenty-four-year-old kids still living at home.

Josie gets to her feet before I do and straightens out her shirt, panting, “If you give me a ride, I’ll tell you a secret about Abbi.”

I pull myself to a standing position. “What do you know about her that I don’t?”

We’re standing face-to-face in the hallway now. “Give me a ride to Tilly’s and I’ll tell you in the parking lot.”

“There’s nothing you know about her that I don’t,” I hedge, knowing it’s a lie. I’m sure she’s told Josie more than she’s told me over the years, and I can guarantee you I don’t want to know anything about the doctor fucker. Unless of course I can use it to my advantage, should I decide breaking up a wedding is in my future.

Drawing in a deep breath, Josie smiles. “Oh this,thisyou’d pay to know.”

My jaw tightens. Josie doesn’t lie. And it’s been my experience when she hints at knowing something good, it pans out. “Fuck. Fine. Let’s go. But I’m not giving you a ride back.”

“Oh, I don’t plan on comin’ home tonight.” Josie struts down the hall, shaking her ass as I fight back wanting to puke.

“Good. Never come back.” I shove her into the wall as I walk past her toward the front door. “You’re not wanted here.”

“Jace Madsen Vaughn,” Mom yells at me. “Don’t talk to your sister like that.”

“Sorry, Mom,” I yell over my shoulder. I can’t wait to get out of this damn house.

Inside my Jeep, I adjust the seat while Josie blows air into her hands. “Fuck, it’s cold.”

“Why’d you take my Jeep?” I glare over at her.

“Mom needed sugar and I had to pick someone up.” Reaching inside her bag, she pulls out gloves and wiggles them onto her hands.

“Who?”

“None of your business.”

I stare at her in the darkness. “Did you fuck Preston in here?”

“Oh, please.” She smashes her hand into my face and pushes me away. “I shaved my legs for that dude and only got three pumps and Taco Bell afterwards. Hash tag, life in shambles.”

I snort and rev the engine of my Jeep, putting it into gear. It rolls forward, the snow crunching underneath the tires like breaking glass. “Did you just hash tag in a sentence?”

“Yep. Now can you drive, please?” She flicks her hand at the highway ahead of us.

“You know what your problem is?”

Josie laughs in my face. “Like I should really be taking life advice from you, but what? What could possibly be my problem?”

I smile, knowing she’s going to hate this. “You’re easy.”

That one earns me a “fuck you” punch to the shoulder. “What?”

“You give it up too easily.”

Her jaw practically drops. “Oh my God. I can’t believe you just said that to me.”

“Why not? Josie… you literally fuck every guy you meet on the first date.”

Her eyes squint into slits as she attempts to display her hatred in my words with a look. With her damn eyelashes it looks like she’s trying to see through curtains. “And the hos you hang around don’t?”

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