Page 65 of The List
“You take sugar in your iced tea?” Missy asks.
“I’m good, thank you.”
As soon as we’re all settled in with our drinks and snacks in hand, Lisa begins the lecture portion of the afternoon. “We’re here about Cassie.”
My stupid heart does a painful surge at the sound of her name, but I do my best to keep my expression neutral. “I kinda figured.”
“She told us how the two of you met.” Missy gives me a knowing look, but I only nod. No way am I volunteering anything. I don’t know what Cassie actually told them, so I’m keeping quiet.
“About The List,” Lisa adds. “And the sex stuff.”
“Not the details,” Missy adds, probably because she saw me start to choke on my tea. “She was discreet.”
“Good,” I reply, not sure how to respond to that. “I guess that’s—something.”
What a stupid reply. If they didn’t already hate me, I’d be worried about the impression I’m giving. That I’m an uneducated idiot whose conversational skills rival those of a drunk baboon.
“Okay, then.” Lisa presses her lips together. “We’d like to get everything out on the table.”
Missy gives me a pointed look, and I know what she’s thinking. That I’m the one who should be spilling my guts. That I’m the one who should be volunteering every last detail about myself.
But Lisa surprises me with her next words.
“There are a few things you should know about Cassie,” she says.
Missy nods. “Important things.”
“For instance, when we were in high school, I told her I could do a Brazilian blowout on her hair,” Lisa says. “Only I screwed something up, and she ended up with orange patches.” She runs her palms down the knees of her tailored slacks. “It was not one of my finest moments. But she forgave me.”
“She also forgave me the time I set her up on a blind date with a guy who brought his mother along,” Missy says. “Though she probably shouldn’t have.”
I frown, not quite sure what these two are driving at. “Is there a reason you’re wanting me to know how much of your shit she puts up with? Because I’ve gotta tell you, I kinda figured that out on my own.”
The sisters exchange a look before turning back to me. Missy sighs like she’s having to explain something to an exceptionally dense child. “That’s not what we’re saying at all,” she tells me with exaggerated patience. “We’re saying she understands that people make mistakes.”
“And she’s willing to forgive the people she cares about.”
“Provided those people make amends.” Lisa folds her arms over her chest and levels me with a look I’m certain brings her fiancé to his knees on a regular basis. “Those were some pretty big lies you told her.”
“I didn’t lie, exactly.”
Both women frown at me, and I have the good sense to look away.
“Fine,” I say. “There may have been a few small fibs about the vacation.”
“There were plenty of lies by omission,” Missy says. “Those count, too.”
I sigh. I feel exhausted, which might have something to do with the fact that I haven’t slept well all week. I’ll admit it. I enjoyed sleeping next to Cassie the few times it happened. I loved hearing her laugh across the table from me at dinner, or reaching across the bed at night to stroke the gentle curve of her shoulder. I miss the way she rolls her eyes when I annoy her, or the soft little sighs she makes in her sleep.
Fine. I miss her whether I’m awake or asleep.
I’m not sure what to do. “Look, I’ve spent the last five or six years dating women who only want me for my money.”
“Not very smart of you,” Lisa says. Her arms are still folded, and she reminds me of an expensively-dressed school teacher.
Missy gives a small snort of disgust. “I can assure you that’s not who Cassie is. She’s not the sort of woman who’d care one iota about your money.”
I look down into my tea. “No, she only wants me for my?—”
