Page 53 of The Perils of Pretending
“He’s a slimeball,” Brody seethes. “How did you keep from knocking the daylights out of him?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe years of working as an educator and having to keep my emotions in check?”
Brody shakes his head. “I’m glad you were there and not me. As an engineer, I don’t have near the restraint you do.”
“I’m just glad Sadie called me to come down and that I was here for her. Can you imagine what he could have done?”
Brody’s fists clench at his sides. “I can’t think about it or I’ll lose it. I’m tempted to call the police.”
“Until Dorian actually does something, the cops can’t do much.” I can’t keep thinking about this or else it will ruin my day. “Have you talked to Amelia and Daphne? How are they holding up without you?”
“Daphne’s exhausted. The baby keeps kicking her when she lies down at night, and without me she’s having a hard time sleeping. Amelia misses roughhousing with me more than anything else. I wish I were home,but we both know how much my mom wants us to keep ties with my grandma. When Grandma called to tell me about the reunion, she brought up,again, how she paid for my tuition.”
Brody’s voice goes high, mimicking a woman. “‘And it’s the least you can do to be there for me when I need you.’” He shakes his head. “I feel like I’m going to be paying my grandma back by being guilted into spending time with her until she dies. You’d think having a wife who’s in her third trimester would excuse me from being here, but it doesn’t. At least Sadie has her bucket list for us to work on.”
“You told me stories about Alice and the Ashcombes, but I thought you were exaggerating. I’m shocked you turned out the way you did, considering your family.”
Brody slowly shakes his head. “I have my dad to thank for getting us away from here. Hey, how is sharing a room with Sadie going? Do you need me to switch beds?”
“If we were forced to share a bed, things would certainly be different. Being in the same room is fine. Although, for someone who worried about me snoring, she has no shade to throw around. Your sister sounds like a foghorn.”
Brody belts out a laugh. “She doesn’t believe us when we tell her!”
“Good thing I got proof.”
“What?”
I grin. “I recorded her snoring. She can’t deny solid evidence.”
“Please let me be around when you show her.”
“So you can rub it in that you were right?”
“Uh, yeah.” He looks at me like I’m dumb. “But hey, on a serious note, I’m truly grateful you came to help us.”
“I’m happy to help and that my schedule allowed me to be here.”
“Me too.” Brody scratches his neck. “You’re not falling for her, are you?”
I don’t get why he thinks it would be so bad if I did. I see her as a beautiful woman and friend. Nothing more. But I want to understand his reasoning behind keeping us apart when he’s happy for my help. “What if I said I am?”
“I don’t want my two worlds to collide. You’remyfriend and have been for thirteen years. If you two ever got in a fight, I’d have to choose sides, and I don’t want to be stuck in the middle. Besides, you're almost seven years older.” He shivers and pulls a face like Sadie and I are disgusting.
My shoulders loosen. I’m relieved it’s because I’m his friend and not because he thinks there’s something wrong with me. He’s my best friend, so I don’t know why he would think so little of me, but the fear that he did was in the back of my mind nonetheless. “I get it and understand. But to ease your worries, at the moment, I see her as only a friend.”
He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Good to know. Should we head back for breakfast?”
“Yeah. But I don’t want Sadie to have to go alone. Not with Dorian lurking around. I’ll go get her from the cub cabin and meet you at the lodge.”
“I’ll save us seats.”
“Thanks, man.”
When I walk in, Sadie’s at the kitchen sink refilling the glass of water I left her. She’s in hot pink pajama bottoms with black polka dots on them, a black tank top, and hair as messy as a lion’s mane. Her skin is pale.
“Hey, princess. How are you feeling this morning?”
She moans.
