Page 19 of Heart Strings & Hotlines
Rafe and I both stare at Lottie again.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. Also, there’s a YouTube channel for kids that showcases emotions and how to handle them. Rowan was telling me about it last month. I’ll find it for you.”
“It’s for children.” Now I’m offended again. I’m not a child. “And I wasn’t biting your head off. That’s how my voice is.”
She throws her arms into the air. Are all females dramatic, or is it just my sister and Lottie?
“Fine, I won’t help,” she says. Rafe nods toward her as though he expects me to do something. “But you’d better be prepared for the Scuttlebutts when you arrive home tomorrow. They all feel terrible. And do not even think about being rude to them, shutting the door in their faces, or telling them to go away. You moved in next door, and this is your punishment for being a stalker.”
I have an overwhelming urge to smile. Since it doesn’t happen often, I enjoy the moment and her reaction to it.
“Thane,” Rafe says. “I don’t believe she’ll appreciate your humor right now.”
“You think this is funny?” she asks.
My smile drops into my gut. It’s an odd sensation, and I’d prefer not to have it again.
“How has he lasted thirty-two years without ever having to do this—this kind of self-work before?” Lottie stands, gathering her things, and that uncomfortable sensation in my chest starts up again.
“He started his first company at sixteen, Lottie. Before that, his interactions with people were very limited. They sent him to college to learn social skills, but he chose to build more computers and apps and God only knows what else. It’s simply never mattered enough to him before.”
“I can speak for myself.”
“Is that true?” She frowns again.
Is it? I hadn’t really thought about it. “Probably.”
“And you’re doing it now because…”
“My sister needs me, and the only way to keep her with me is to get glowing remarks from my babysitter.”
The corners of her lips tilt up.Happy. The word holds the power of a sledgehammer.
“Thane, you’re witty without knowing it, have dry humor without meaning to, and you love your sister enough to go through some really uncomfortable shit. You might be slightly stalkerish, but I don’t think you’re a stalker. You’re a brother with a big heart trying to break free.”
What’sthatsupposed to mean?
“She likes you,” Rafe says under the guise of a cough, which is even more stupid because she could obviously hear him.
“I do. But that can change quickly if you’re rude to the Scuttlebutts. They may be annoying, but they keep this town running, and they’ve always been good to me, so don’t do it.”
“The very definition of scuttlebutt is gossip. They’re the gossipers of the town.”
“And they love it,” Lottie says with a crooked smile she’s never given me before. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Thane.”
She floats out of the room, and my mood instantly plummets.
“You’ve really dived deep into the middle of the ocean here, haven’t you, my friend?” Rafe takes the seat Lottie vacated, and I want to tell him to get the hell off it, but now that he’s there, he’s covered it in Rafe-germs anyway, so I keep my mouth shut.
“There’s no ocean near us. There’s a lake behind the house though.”
Rafe pulls his chair closer to my bed. “I mean, you moved to a small town where everybody knows your name, to be next to a woman who intrigues you enough to memorize her reactions. How many are you going to research as soon as I leave the room?”
Now how the hell did he know that?
“Six,” I mumble, staring at the death-colored wall. His reaction will be smug—it’s the only expression my father ever wears, so I know that one well.
“I thought so. This is a lot of change for someone who plans his day out by the minute and with as little human contact as possible. Is it overwhelming?”
