Page 79 of High Season
“Don’twhat?”
He prizes her hands away from the sides of her head. His grip is firm. Strong. It reminds Tamara, briefly, of when they used to playfight as kids. How, for two glorious summers, Tamara had been taller than her twin, stronger. How she used to be able to wrestle him to the ground, triumphant.
Now, her brother has filled out, gained muscles that Tamara doesn’t have. Now, she looks Blake straight in the eye, and her voice is a hiss.
“Don’t lie to me, Blake,” she says. “I know you. I can tell.”
For a moment he is still. His body is all hard lines and angles. His hands are still around Tamara’s wrists. Then, something inside him collapses. He lets go of her. His shoulders slump.
“Fine,” he says. “Yes. I had sex with Hannah Bailey.”
Tamara should feel triumphant, but instead something inside her drops. As if she had still, somehow, held on to the hope that this might not be true.
“You’re an idiot,” she says. “Do you think no one’s going to find out?”
He collapses down onto the bed. Lowers his head to his hands.
“I don’t know,” he says, muffled. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“Do you like her?”
He pauses. Then:
“I don’t know.”
“You do, then.”
He doesn’t say anything.
“She likes you.”
Still, nothing.
“Oh, Blake.” Tamara can’t help herself. She sits on the bed beside her brother. Wraps her arm around him. “You are in so much trouble.”
He nods.
“You won’t tell anyone?” he says thickly. “She’s different from us, you know? In a good way. I couldn’t help it.”
“Who would I tell?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have to end it though. You know that, right?”
Slowly, Blake nods.
“And Blake?”
“Yeah?”
“Whatever you do,” Tamara says, “do not let Hannah find out about Cordelia.”
TWENTY-SIX
2024
There is a smudge of orange foundation on the collar of Nina’s shirt.
