Page 44 of His Ex's Little Sister
This time, the dead silence is on my end. She looks over at me. “Do you have any idea why he saidanything?”
“It’s my fault. I confronted him and accused him of hurting you… because something happened between Reid and me in the last few days,” Iadmit.
“You and Reid.” Her crying ceases, and her eyes narrow as she studies me, now armed with this chilling new information. I’m not sure if to expect her to pass out from the heartbreak that I broke a cardinal rule of sisterhood, or if she’ll reach her hands up and rip every strand of hair from my head. “YousleptwithReid?”
I rest my head in my hands. I want to die from shame. “Yes. I know, I’m a total slut. I amsosorry. It won’t happen again, Danielle. Ipromise.”
“You and Reid.” This time, she nods as sherepeatsit.
“Feel free to bitch-slap me, anytimeatall.”
“I won’t, and I believe I can livewiththat.”
“What?Why?”
Danielle pushes off the floor with both hands and gets to her feet. She wipes the tears and snot off her face with the back of her hand. “Because…because me andBarclay.”
I look up at her from my spot on the floor. It’s a good thing I’m sitting down. She and Barclay? They can’t be any more different from each other. They’re like comparing oil and water. Night and day. Country western music and Goth. But Barclay is a sweetie. He’s sensitive, feels emotions so deeply, on a level that’s more empathetic than most men, and he would never hurtDanielle.
“You andBarclay?”
Shenods. “Yes.”
“Howlong?”
She covers her eyes in embarrassment. “Ayear.”
“Jesus. You’re a vault! Barclay too! You’ve been seeing each other for awholeyear?”
It takes me a while to think back. Yes. It makes perfect sense. The hushed tones. Her unexpected appearances at some of our gigs that I had never mentioned to her. The other night at the bar when Barclay went off the deep end that I sang that angry, sad song for Reid. That time I walked into Mom’s pantry and found him picking food fromherhair.
“I’m the only one who doesn’t know too, right?” She doesn’t answer, but I don’t need words. It’s written all over her face. “Did he even go to Amargosa Valley at all? Or was he in the damned camper van road trip with you, Mom and Dad? Wait. Don’t bother answering. I can tell…and I think I can live with thattoo,sis.”
“Thank God! It’s been hard sneaking around behindyourback.”
“You don’t have to anymore. And I won’t do any tiptoeing of any kindwithReid.”
“Great!”
“For now, we’re just starting to get to know each other, so let’s just leave it at that. I haven’t spent that much timewithhim.”
“Okay.”
The loaner phone buzzes in my pocket. “It must be Reid. That reminds me. I have to give him the meekest, sweetest apology for treating him like shit and accusing him of lying his ass off.” There’s a clicking sound at the door as I answer the phone. “Hi Reid. Can you hold asecond?”
“Sure,” heanswers.
I mute the line. “But first, we’d better unlock the door for Mom and Dad before they wonder whose SUV isoutside.”
“True. Coming, Mom,” Danielle shouts, reaching for the door tounlockit.
I turn off the mute feature on the phone. “Hi Reid. Hey, I need to apologize for what I saidearlier.”
“Forget about that for a second. Is hethere?”
“Who?”
“Dave.”
