Page 62 of The Pass
“Yeah, I’m sorry. It’s a mess. I would have cleaned it already if I knew you were coming. Tanner and I didn’t talk about sleeping arrangements when you and your friends got here. Why don’t you leave your stuff in the hallway and I’ll clean up and move the rest of my stuff to Tanner’s room?”
“Oh no, I insist.” She backs away like it’s a crime scene. “You should stay in here. Corinne and I can share a room.”
I’m too mortified to argue or come up with any response except to nod. I can’t really blame her for not wanting to stay in here after seeing it in its current state.
When Tanner finally gets back, I’m beyond relieved. He sets the takeout on the counter and then goes to Tara with his arms open. “What are you doing here? I thought you were coming next week?”
She steps into his embrace and they hug. “My professor had a family emergency and moved our classes online for the rest of the summer session. And I wanted to spend an extra few days with my big brother. Eww. You stink, T.”
“Uhh… yeah, that was next on the agenda after food.” He glances to me. “Did you meet Sydney? I can’t believe the two of you haven’t met before.”
I do a little awkward wave and forced smile.
“I did,” Tara says, and she smiles too. “Go shower and then let’s take the boat out.”
“Sydney and I were going to eat and then stay in tonight.”
“It’s fine,” I say quickly.
“Are you sure?” he asks and all eyes are on me for an answer.
“Absolutely. Who’s hungry?”
Tara and Corinne dig into the food while Tanner makes his excuses to shower. I follow him into the bathroom as he strips down. The situation is temporarily forgotten as his body distracts me. Long and lean, muscular in all the right places. He’s too good to be true.
“Sorry about our plans.” He turns on the shower but then comes back to where I stand in the doorway between the bedroom and bathroom and brushes my hair out of my face. “Make it up to you later?”
“I won’t turn that down, but it’s fine.” Resting my head against his chest, I breathe him in, all the sweat and sex of the past twelve hours. “I opened the door in a bikini and high heels.”
His body shakes with laughter around me. “What?”
“I was going to surprise you with my orange bikini and pink heels, but instead, I gave your sister and her friend an eyeful. And then she walked into our sex headquarters. I can’t imagine what she must think of me.”
“She’s not some young innocent.”
“Still, that was not the first impression I was hoping for.”
“We’ll go out on the boat and then come back and spend the night on the patio hanging out. You two can chat and get to know one another.”
I nod and he moves to the shower. “Are you coming in?”
“No, I think I’ll go eat with them.” Maybe I shouldn’t care if Tara knows we’re in here showering together, but I feel like she’s learned enough about her brother’s sex life for one day.
* * *
Tara sitsin the seat across from Tanner on the boat as he drives us around the lake. I pull my feet up and hug my knees and watch the easy way they interact. They have the same straight nose and a lot of the same facial expressions. The way they smile—small at first and then widening. And the way they hold their mouths when they talk.
Tanner’s hair is darker than his sister’s and her eyes aren’t as deep blue. She’s pretty and I think she’s nice despite not seeming to want anything to do with me. We’ve barely spoken, and I get the feeling she wishes I were anywhere but here though I’m not sure why. Maybe she was hoping to spend some quality time with Tanner alone. Although she brought Corinne, so I don’t think that’s it.
A night of drinking on the patio and I’m sure we can fix whatever it is. For now, I’m content to sit back and let the two of them catch up.
I’m in my own little world as Tara tells him about school and people I don’t know. There’s something so peaceful and relaxing about being out on the lake that I can feel it easing my worries. It’s the change in Tanner’s tone that snaps me out of my serene moment.
“I told you that’s over,” he says, and his shoulders stiffen.
“But you didn’t say why, and Amelia won’t say a word either. She seemed so good for you. You can’t keep breaking up with girls every time you get bored or things get hard. Relationships take work.”
“I know… that’s not…” He glances over his shoulder and I’m quick to lookout into the water to give them the illusion of privacy. “It doesn’t matter. Sydney and I are together now, so you can stop worrying about me dying a single bachelor. I swear you’re worse than mom and grandma combined.”
