Page 75 of Sand in My Boots

“What? Like a girl can’t lie around in her house in her PJs and not be judged for it?”

Her eyes widen as she does another visual scan. “I’m going to ask this again, in a less judgmental way. What’s going on with you?”

“I’m having a dreadful week.”

Elisa sits on the couch next to me, her butt balancing on the edge, perched to leap if necessary. She plops the bag of goodies onto the coffee table. “You just got back from the best vacation ever. How could your life have gone downhill so quickly? An asshole author?” I shake my head, a lump forming in my throat, nervous she’s going to get me to spill my secrets. “Mom and Dad threaten to revoke your savings accounts?”

I roll my eyes. “As if. Let them try.”

“Oh good. You’re not totally broken.” Taking out one cup of coffee, she hands it over. Then she reaches into the bag and digs out the chocolate croissants. “Should we bother with plates? We can’t make any more of a mess than you already have, right?”

One shoulder lifts. “Liesl comes Monday. A few crumbs will be fine until then.” Matching my nonchalant attitude, my sister places a napkin in her lap, a croissant on top. Forced to sit up, she does the same for me.

“You get five bites before you have to spill your guts.”

“I take back about you being my favorite.” Bite. Chew. Swallow. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’d rather wallow in my misery.” Bite. Chew. Swallow. Which isn’t exactly the truth. I’d rather not be miserable, if I’m being honest.

“How was dinner with big bro?”

“Good. He seemed distracted.” Bite. Chew. Swallow.

“That’s nothing new.”

“Even more distracted.” Bite. Chew. Swallow. Last one. Better decide what I’m going to say to get her off my back.

“Hmmm. Maybe it’s because we haven’t seen him in a handful of years.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“And Cameron?” His name makes me cringe, something Elisa doesn’t miss. “Wait. I thought you said things were good. Just like you imagined.”

“The man lacks nothing in the bedroom. In fact, he’s improved tenfold.”

Bite. Chew. Swallow.

Elisa has a sip of coffee in her mouth, but it soon sprays all over the coffee table.

“Okay, that will need to be cleaned up.”

Swiping at her chin, she bounds to her feet. “Hold up. I didn’t hear you correctly. What do you mean, ‘he’s improved tenfold’? How the fuck do you know that?”

Oops.

So busy trying to keep my brain from spewing my reasons of why I feel so crappy, I’ve inadvertently spilled a well-kept secret.

“Remember when Cameron came to visit after that STEM camp Preston attended a few summers in high school?”

“Hardly. I was a baby.”

“Oh, right.” When she acts all mature, I forget she’s so much younger than me and her memories don’t extend as far as mine. “Anyway, he’d come stay with us for a week or two after camp was over.”

“Okay. Keep going.”

“That’s when my crush first began. That first summer. I was maybe twelve but too shy to do anything more than blush every time he was near. The following summer, I got the courage to speak to him. By the third summer, we somehow became friends. As much as you can be friends with a boy who is your brother’s good friend and you’re the awkward younger sister.”

Elisa rolls her eyes, sitting back down. “Please. As if you were ever awkward.”

“You’ve seen pictures. You know. Anyway, Preston stopped going to camp, and Cameron stopped coming for the summer.”