Page 177 of Shy Girls Can't Date Celebrities
Casey stomps in front of Wyatt with her arms folded across her chest. “So you’re the guy who kept my sister away?”
Wyatt blinks at her, startled. “Ex-excuse me?”
“Casey,” Mom scolds. “Don’t be rude.”
Casey huffs, keeping her stance rigid. “I want to hear what he has to say for himself.”
I step between them. “Listen, you little monster. I told you, Wyatt was in the hospital. He doesn’t have to answer to a snarky ten-year-old.”
Casey rolls her eyes at me. “I didn’t realize how much I’d miss you.”
Her agitated exterior and the vulnerability of her words make me melt. “You’re so annoying, but I love you.”
She drops her crossed arms. “Don’t get too sappy, but I love you too.”
“I’m sorry for keeping your sister away,” Wyatt offers.
Callum points at Wyatt. “Now he’s not stuttering. What’s up with that?”
Casey looks at Wyatt sideways. “You stutter? You don’t stutter in the movies.”
“Okay, kids,” Dad says, placing his hands on Casey’s shoulders. “Let’s give Wyatt some space. He and Josie have gotten off a long flight.”
“I’m sorry to say, Wyatt,” Mom says, turning a shade of pink, “we only have the pull-out couch as a spare bed. If I had more notice, maybe I could’ve worked something else out. I know it’s nothing fancy but...”
“It’s fine, Mrs. Bartlett,” Wyatt interrupts. “I don’t need anything fa-fancy.”
I gesture at the walking cane, leaning against the couch. “Probably a good thing he won’t be using the stairs.”
Casey wriggles her eyebrows. “You wouldn’t want him going upstairs. Would you, Josie?”
I deadpan her. “Huh?”
Callum’s shoulders jiggle as he laughs. “Your bedroom is full of pictures of him.”
Wyatt grins. “What’s this now?”
A mess of self-loathing embarrassment writhes inside me.
“Stop teasing your sister,” Dad says, having difficulty holding back his laughter.
Wyatt turns to the twins. “How many pictures of me?”
I lunge at the twins, shoving my hands over their mouths before they can speak. “Don’t you dare!”
Mom pats Wyatt’s shoulder. “Let’s just say, Josie never stopped being a fan of yours.”
Wyatt edges toward the staircase. “You don’t think I need to see this, do you?”
It takes me way too long to decide. Should I remove my hands from the twins’ faces, or grab onto Wyatt instead? While my brain malfunctions, Wyatt moves onto the staircase.
“Take it easy up those steps,” Mom says with brewing panic.
With bone-chilling despondency quaking throughout my body, I unlatch my hands from the twins’ faces and edge forward.
“They’re all over her walls!” Callum calls out.
“She’s got problems,” Casey adds on.
