Page 36 of Mess With Me

“Sometimes. Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong family. I think I might have been happier in a place like this.”

I don’t know why that makes warmth spread in my chest.

“You should see my parents’ place. It looks like a freaking mausoleum. It’s just devoid of life, you know? Kind of like their marriage.”

She laughs, but I can tell she doesn’t think it’s funny.

Sasha gets to my bookshelf. “At least you can tell someone lives here.” She tilts her head at an angle to read the titles. “Ship-Making in the Iron Age.Jiu-Jitsu: Form and Art.Why are these books exactly what I’d expect you to have? You ever read for pleasure?”

“Those books please me.”

Sasha rolls her lips between her teeth. I can tell she’s trying not to laugh.

I scowl, heading for the closet, where I pull out two sets of clean sheets.

While Sasha’s exploring, I change my bed, giving the bedside table a swipe for dust and making room for her in one of the drawers. She doesn’t have anything to put in there, but I’ll go out and get her a change of clothes tomorrow. Maybe I’ll call one of my sisters to help. Although the fewer people who know she’s here, the better. I don’t need to decide now.

Back in the living room, I toss the second set of sheets on the couch, then pause. She’s got a framed photo in her hand. Shit. “Hey, uh, that’s—”

“Adorable?”

Awkward nerves I haven’t felt in years crunch around in my belly as I come up behind her. The photo is of the five of us siblings with Mom and Dad when we were kids. Even though it’s probably sat in that spot for a decade, I haven’t looked at it closely since Cassandra gave it to me.

“How old are you here?”

I calculate. “Thirteen.” In the photo, my eyebrows are bunched together, my teeth bared.

Sasha looks at me and grins. “Are you trying to smile?”

I frown. “Iamsmiling.”

She presses her lips together. “Mm-hmm”

“Mom told the photographer not to let us go until we were all smiling.”

“Not an easy feat to coordinate seven people’s facial expressions, I bet. Though your brothers seem to have nailed it.”

Eli, who would have been around fifteen, is giving Blue Steel, while Jude, I guess eleven, has his hands on his hips and his chin up like Superman, his sparkling fucking grin lighting up his face as usual.

“Cassandra seems to know what she’s doing, too.”

Eli’s twin Cassandra has a perfect, polished smile on her face.

“She always did exactly what everyone expected of her.”

“Sounds exhausting,” she says, her voice sympathetic.

I’d never really thought of it that way.

Sasha points to the only other person besides me who looks like she’s not happy about smiling—our baby sister, Chelsea. Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.

“I didn’t get a chance to meet your younger sister at the wedding.”

I study her a moment. “You’d like her. She smiles more these days.”

Sasha throws me a curious look. I guess I don’t know Sasha well enough to know if she’d like Chelsea. But I know my sister would love her. Both my sisters would.

But Sasha smiles. “I’d love to meet her. Maybe this weekend?”

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