Page 49 of What Goes Around

A laugh almost slipped out. Apple was talented indeed. An artist of petty cruelty.

Flirting with the boys I liked. Sleeping with them just to prove she could. Turning every birthday, every moment that was supposed to be mine, into something that revolved around her.

She craved dominance, especially over me.

“No, Apple,” I said, reaching for a second toast. “You haven’t done anything.”

Her smile flickered, a glitch in her mask.

“Anton mentioned something… I didn’t know you liked him.” She bit her lip, soft and apologetic. “If I had known, I never would’ve…”

Dad looked confused.

Mom’s gaze snapped to me, sharp, expectant. Waiting.

For what?

Tears. Anger. A scene.

Apple hid behind her mug like a saint.

I took another bite of toast.

Her performance was flawless. Word for word, expression for expression. An exact replica of the one she gave in my past life.

Back then, I had been the one who came home first. Soaked in beer. Humiliated. Only to find out she had hooked up with the boy I liked.

It had gutted me.

“It’s fine,” I said, meeting her gaze.

She blinked, thrown.

Apple didn’t thrive on calm. She thrived on reaction. She needed jealousy, hurt, rivalry. Without them, she had nothing to push against.

“It’s really not fine,” she insisted softly. “It breaks the sister code. I feel so awful. Sisters shouldn’t ever want the same guy. That’s, like… girl code times a thousand.”

Dad sighed. “You girls need to sort that out. Just don’t make it a drama.”

Mom lifted her coffee. “Exactly. Boys come and go. No need for theatrics.”

“Oh, of course not,” Apple said quickly. “I’m over it. Anton and I barely meant anything.”

She tilted her head. “It just would’ve been nice to know Ashley liked him too. Then I could’ve backed off before he got… attached.”

I grabbed two pancakes, placed them on my plate.

“Don’t worry,” I said calmly. “We barely talked with Anton. I’m not upset. You can have him.”

Apple froze for a fraction of a second.

Then her smile came back. Thinner. “Oh. Well… good.”

Her gaze dropped to my plate.

“Wow, Ash,” she said with a light laugh. “You sure have an appetite. If I ate like that, I’d look like a cow.”

I looked up, meeting her eyes.