Page 133 of Reckless
He’s going to get an earful for that stupid little dig.
“Hey?” The door cracks open, and I see Summer’s petite figure silhouetted in the doorway. “Are you awake now?”
“Apparently,” I mumble from behind my hands.
“Okay, cool.” My sister sounds wide awake.
When the bed sinks down beside me, my hands fall away from my face.
Summer crawls right under the covers—without asking—and I can’t do anything but stare at her. It’s something I wished we did as children.
She lies down and faces me, hands folded under her cheek. Vivi giggles from under the covers.
“At least she’s in a good mood. That’s something.”
“She’s always in a good mood. She’s like her dad.”
Summer rolls her lips together and stares at me. “Do you think that’s why—”
“He said what he said tonight?” Tattling to his mom felt terribly immature, so I stewed until everyone but Summer left. Then I ranted and raved to her about what he said on the phone.
“Yeah. Are you mad at him?”
“Maybe. But not like you might think. I’m also relieved, because I’ve been waiting for this shoe to drop. His patient and unwavering commitment is superhuman. It’s not normal. For the first time, I got a flash of him being a regular insecure human and I find that relatable. I know how to react. This happy, sunny, constantly upbeat person is lovely, butI feel like it’s ...a facade.”
“Has he asked you that before?”
“Not since the first night when he kept asking if I was sure. But never a direct question about the paternity or the timing. And that’s the first thing I’d have asked.”
“So you’ve been waiting for this to come up?
I nod. “Yeah, I think so. It seems like a natural progression for how we were thrust into this. I think the Rob news was a threat to this new normal we’ve created. He just...fuck, Sum. He just rolled up out of nowhere acting like this big hot Boss Daddy who swooped in to fix all my shit. He didn’t even bat an eyelash.”
“Please tell me you don’t call him daddy.”
A laugh rushes out from between my lips. “Only when I talk to Vivi. I’ve been trying to get her to say it as a surprise for him. So far, the closest I’ve gotten is her pointing at Peter and saying,Da!So, I’m pretty sure she said dog first. Please take that to the grave. It devastated Theo he missed those early days with her and I’m sure he’d chalk it up to that.”
“Well, it’s not like Peter was around then either.”
I roll my eyes and feel Vivi’s tiny hands as she crawls back up my body.
“Hey, Win? I’m gonna tell you something and I want you not to shut down.”
I nod, my cheek rustling against the pillow as I shift to mirror Summer’s position. “Okay.”
“I’ve been sitting up and doing some reading. Going over the letter. Doing some soul-searching. And I think it’s time we report Rob to the medical board for what happened with me. Even if nothing comes of it, it will give us both the freedom to truly move on.”
Vivi is at my stomach now, and I pull her up. This time, she doesn’t resist my hug. She nuzzles into my neck as though she knows I need it.
“I just never wanted to drag you back into his orbit. He’s so...inescapable, and you finally did. I want to do it too.”
She raises her shoulder in a slight shrug. “Yeah, but now he’s picking on my sister, so he’s put himself inmyorbit. Let me help you get rid of him.”
My eyes sting. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. Let’s do it together. Sisters. Yeah?”
“Yeah. Sisters.” The room is softly lit from the light of the hallway, and I see white teeth as her lips stretch into a pleased smile.
