Page 25 of The Spider Queen
Wet and annoyed by the time I got home, I was looking forward to a hot bath. Knowing I’d wake up in the middle of the night, I thought going to bed early was a good idea.
Anita was on the couch, and there was no way I could move past her without speaking. The strain between us was palpable.
“Hey,” she said, eyeing my sodden form.
“Hey,” I said as I set my bag down and kicked off my shoes, not wanting to track rainwater farther into the apartment. Feigning interest in removing the rest of my soiled clothes, it was easy to pretend to ignore her.
“Can we talk?” Anita asked.
“About what?”
“About the fact that we haven’t really spoken in days.”
I shucked off my damp jeans and stood in the living room in my mint green boy shorts. “What’s there to say? You threatened to call my mom like I’m a child.”
“But I didn’t.”
“You talked to Hunter about me. Behind my back.”
“I’m fucking worried, Poppy!” she snapped. “Why don’t you get that?”
“Thenyoutalk to me! You don’t talk to my—to the guy that I might—”
“I have tried talking to you. You ignore me, or play it down. But Iknowthere’s something you’re not telling me. So what is it? Just tell me!”
My phone buzzed somewhere near my bag but again I ignored it. “I’m working through something, okay? Something I’m not ready to share.”
Distress flashed across her face.
I shook my head. “No. You don’t get to make this about you, Anita. I know you want to help, but I’m not ready to talk about it.”
“Poppy—”
“You hurt my feelings,” I admitted. “Of all the people in the world—my mom doesn’t get it—she doesn’t get me, and that’s fine. I’ve made my peace with it. Butyou… You’re not just my cousin, you’re my best friend.”
Anita’s blue eyes filled with tears. “I really am sorry, Poppy. I love you. You know I do. I just hope when you’re ready, you know you can talk to me.”
My anger softened. “I do know that.”
Suddenly we were both crying and laughing. She hopped up from the couch and hugged me. “Forgive me for being insensitive?”
“Nothing to forgive,” I assured her but then pulled back. Glancing down, I realized I was still pants-less. “Maybe I should get into pajamas.”
“It’s not even dark out.” Anita smirked.
“But I’m exhausted. I haven’t been sleeping well.”
She frowned. “I didn’t know that.”
“Well, you have been spending a lot of time with Jonah,” I teased.
“Yeah.” She bit her lip and focused attention back on me. “Hunter is really into you.”
I sighed.
“I’m sorry. I’m missing the part where that’s bad. He’s cute, smart, athletic, and not afraid of your—”
“I know, I know,” I muttered. I headed to my room, and knowing Anita would follow me, I quickly picked up the spider in a cube and hid it in the back of my closet.
