Faker - Sarah Smith Page 0,18
cloudy head. It doesn’t. Excluding his first week of work at Nuts & Bolts, I’ve never felt anything other than negative emotions for Tate. But after seeing him act so kindly to Cal, I’m at a loss. The past few days have been quieter than usual because I don’t know what to say or how to look at him. We got through our latest one-on-one meeting for the charity homebuilding project with quick answers, minimal questions, and short bouts of eye contact. After ten minutes, it was back to ignoring each other.
“Don’t you dare feel bad,” Addy scolds.
“Maybe my empathy is seriously lacking,” I say, ignoring her comment. “Maybe I’ve been so blinded with rage and irritation that I missed out on little kind things he’s done these past eleven months.”
Addy pins me with a frown. “Your empathy is perfectly intact. Can you honestly think of one instance where he showed kindness to you?”
I open and close my mouth a half dozen times, yet nothing comes.
The empty glass makes a loud clink when I set it on the table. Addy wags her finger at me. “Just because he was kind to someone else doesn’t take away the fact that he was an utter douche nozzle to you. Do you honestly think that he’ll suddenly be nice to you too?”
It actually speaks volumes that he went out of his way to be nice to Cal but can’t seem to show me the slightest bit of courtesy in our everyday interactions. Yes, we’ve maintained a courteous silence lately, but we’re bound to bicker about something soon. We always do. And it’s only a matter of time before he says just the right cutting words to me, leaving me frustrated and hurt.
That knot of annoyance seeps back into the pit of my stomach. “You’re right.”
“He’d better be more professional at least, especially if you have to meet with him every single freaking week for that project.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” I shake my head, hoping it clears away all remaining thoughts of Tate. “Enough about work. Tell me about Costa Rica.”
“It’s absolutely incredible here. Like, otherworldly.” Addy gestures wildly. “Lush green everywhere, crystal blue ocean. I wish you could be here to see it.”
Her olive skin is even tanner than before. That combined with her dark hair makes her pop against the beige and yellow background of the room she’s in.
“Your gifts are being put to good use too!”
She holds up the pink visor I gave her. “Thanks to this, my face stays covered, which means no blemishes or sun spots. Yay for staving off future wrinkles!”
I flash her a thumbs-up. “How are your feet holding up?”
“Amazing! Those gel inserts you gave us make all the difference when we’re walking for hours and hours. You’re seriously the best.”
She mentions how much she loves the translation app I bought for the one phone she and Ryan are sharing during their trip.
“When you get the chance, check your PayPal account,” I say. “I left you a little something.”
Addy’s jaw drops. “Emmie! Come on, you’ve already done enough.”
“I know you saved money for this trip, but you’re still my little sister. It’s my job to look after you. You don’t even have to use it if you don’t want to. Save it for an emergency, just for your peace of mind.”
She crosses her arms, but her beaming smile gives away her delight. Seeing her expressive face and wide smile is a delightful comfort. We haven’t talked since she left for her trip last month, and I’ve been dying to catch up with her.
“I swear, you’re more like a mom than my big sister. We owe you. Seriously.”
“The only thing you owe me are regular Skype sessions while you’re away,” I say. “Internet access permitting, of course. Speaking of Mom, I emailed her and let her know that I’d be Skyping you today, so be prepared for an onslaught of questions from her delivered through me for our next Skype session.”
“You’re an angel for how you accommodate her when she travels overseas.” Addy crinkles her nose in mock frustration. “Way to make me look bad, by the way. Even when she’s out of the country and you can’t do your weekly phone call with her, you email her regularly instead.”
“You’re traveling. She understands you’re not available. And every time I offer to pay for international coverage on her phone when she visits Auntie Marla in the Philippines, she rebuffs me. Says it’s not worth the money and