Page 19 of All Wrong
Corinne wondered if that was true or if he’d been secretly relieved. Maybe he wasn’t into this blind date thing any more than she was and had only agreed because it was impossible to say no to Lacie. She was too nice.
“So, I’m guessing your date last night didn’t go well, huh?” Lacie asked.
Corinne almost said,What date?before she remembered her little white lie.
“I’ll be honest,” Lacie continued, negating the need for a reply, “I thought you were just saying that to get me off your back and that, in actuality, you were heading back to your place to eat junk food and binge one of your shows.”
That had been the plan before Nick got hauled into custody and she decided to play the chivalrous dame—or whatever the female equivalent of a knight in shining armor was.
Wow, she thought.I’m all about reversed cliché gender roles today, aren’t I?
What she said was, “How do you know I didn’t?”
“We drove by your place on the way home. Your car wasn’t in the lot, and your lights weren’t on.”
“Seriously, Lace? Stalk much?” Corinne said without thinking.
Silence hung heavy on the other end, and Corinne immediately regretted the words. Years earlier, Lacie had been stalked and abducted by someone they’d once considered family.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s okay,” Lacie said softly. “It was a long time ago.”
It wasn’t okay, and it didn’t matter how much time had elapsed. Some scars never healed completely.
“I love that you look out for me,” Corinne said. “I really do. But I’m a big girl.”
“I know that. But we’re still sisters, and sisters talk to each other about things.”
“We talk.”
A long pause.
“Not like we used to.”
Well, that was true enough. They didn’t have much in common anymore. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.
At one time, they’d been close, but life had happened. Lacie was married to her perfect man, had amazing kids and a whole clan of sisters-in-law with whom she could relate to and share things with. Lacie and Shane were pillars of the community with meaningful jobs and fulfilling lives.
Same thing with her brother, Brian. He and his wife operated a hippotherapy ranch, helping veterans and kids and adults with physical and mental challenges.
Corinne’s job was nothing more than a paycheck with good benefits. She lived alone, didn’t contribute substantially to anyone’s life, and was possibly in the midst of an existential crisis.
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Corinne said honestly.
“You seemed preoccupied yesterday,” Lacie coaxed gently.
Corinne bit her lip, holding back from saying that she was no more preoccupied than usual. Or that family gatherings intensified her feelings of being an outsider. That she didn’t like beingincluded only out of a sense of obligation. That her presence might’ve madeLaciefeel better, but did nothing for Corinne, except widen the trench between her and everyone else.
She couldn’t say any of those things because no matter how true they were, Lacie would be devastated.
“Just some stuff at work,” she said finally, pressing her thumb to the tender spot between her brows.
“They don’t appreciate you enough.”
Understatement of the year, that.
“This is true,” Corinne agreed, but that was all she said.
