Page 29 of Nolan
“There are some saltines downstairs,” Jessica says. “Would you mind getting them out of the pantry for me? I’ll be down in a second.”
I all but race down the stairs to do as she asks just as Apollo comes through the front door carrying his duffel bag. He spots me and nods. “Kids already gone to school?”
“Yep,” I reply, heading straight for the pantry.
“By the way, how was the store the other day, when you were on your own?”
“Fine.”
“You sure? You came home pretty late.”
“Went for a walk in the park,” I reply. It’s not a lie, and I shoot him a look. “What’s with the third degree?”
He shrugs. “Just curious.”
Except I sense a hint of suspicion in his voice. Rather than try to ignore or avoid it, I decide to lean into it. What the hell. “Nolan and I were talking.”
“You and Nolan?” He arches his brows as he sets his duffel down with a thud on the floor and takes a glass bottle of water out of the fridge. “What do you mean?”
“We were talking, and we were gonna hang out,” I reply with the most casual shrug I can manage. “But we were short-staffed, so he came by to help me out and then we went for a walk. Talking.”
“Talking.” He doesn’t sound convinced, squinting at me.
I’m suddenly thinking maybe I chose the wrong time to broach this subject. My body is tense from my legs all the way to my jaw as I set Jessica’s crackers on the counter. “Yeah. Talking.”
“Well, make sure that’s all it is,” he warns before guzzling water.
That gets under my skin. “I don’t think you have a say in what is and what isn’t when it comes to the men I decide to talk to,” I reply as calmly and firmly as I can.
Jessica is in the middle of fastening her black hair into a ponytail when she enters the kitchen. She looks a bit pale, but better than she did in the bathroom. She glances between us. “Hey.” She puts her arm around Apollo and kisses his cheek. “What did I miss?”
Apollo looks just as annoyed as I feel, his arms crossed as he leans on the counter. “Oh, nothing. Mia was just telling me how she was spending time with Nolan at Cyber Street last night.”
“Aw, well, isn’t that sweet of him to come and help?” Jessica says, grabbing the box of crackers. She promptly snarfs one down, even though she doesn’t look like she’s enjoying a single bite. “You can let Nolan know I appreciate it, but I’ll be in the office today handling things myself. Don’t worry.”
Apollo grunts, but even with Jessica’s sweet and reasonable presence here in the kitchen with us, the tension doesn’t entirely dissipate.
“I was just telling Apollo about how Nolan and I went to the park afterwards, spent the evening talking.” I grab my own bottle of water and stubbornly sit on a stool.
“An evening in the park?” Jessica perks up curiously, half-smiling at me. “That sounds?—”
“Romantic?” I interject for her, looking straight at my brother as I say it. “It was. I enjoyed it.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Apollo growls. “What the hell do you mean, romantic? What’re you talking about? Nolan would never.”
“Nothing happened, but Nolan and I already exchanged numbers, and like I said, we’re talking,” I reply, folding my arms.
“Like hell you are,” Apollo begins, but Jessica cuts him off with a warning look. “I don’t think you should be talking with him.”
“Why?” I ask, a little baffled. “Because he’s an android?”
“No, because he’s my best friend and my colleague,” Apollo replies. “Both things seem pretty off-limits to me for a little sister.”
I scoff. “When have I been off-limits for your friends, Apollo?” I demand. “Enlighten me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He may be getting hot under the collar, but so am I. This has nothing to do with Nolan anymore, and everything to do with us. “You’ve always been my sister. I love you, and I’ve always looked out for you.”
“Recently, yes, and I appreciate that. But when did you ever, before?”
