watch the fireworks alone with Justin tonight. Please don’t hate me for it.”
“I could never hate you, and I don’t blame you one bit. But I do have to say this.” She began singing, “Chloe and Justin sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G—”
Chloe climbed out of the car, laughing as her sister sang the silly song. She felt like she hadn’t been home in a month. She and Justin usually went back and forth between houses. But lately Justin had put in more time sculpting and Chloe had projects set up at his place, so it had been easier to stay there. Although they’d spent Wednesday night at her place since Justin had attended church.
“How many drinks have you had?” Chloe asked as she headed up the walk.
“Only two. It’s gorgeous on the water. In all seriousness, are you going to get matching tattoos and start driving a motorcycle?”
“No.” Chloe laughed. “But if I were to get a tattoo, I’d have Tank do it. You should see the angel he tattooed on Justin’s back to honor his mother. He finished it this week, and it’s gorgeous.” She unlocked her cottage door and said, “Want to hear something weird?”
“Sure. I love weird.”
“You know my cottage has always meant everything to me.”
“Yeah…?”
“I used to feel like being home was my reward at the end of every day. But I just got to my cottage to pick up a few things, and it doesn’t feel that special anymore.”
“That’s not weird. You’re spending almost every night having crazy monkey sex in your secluded love nest overlooking a pond with a man who treats you like gold. That love nest has become your home.”
Chloe looked around her cottage at the fine furniture and color-coordinated decorations that had once meant so much to her and she said, “I don’t think it’s that. I think I’m having an epiphany. I worked so hard to buy my cottage, to have nice things, and to create a perfect life. It took years of planning and saving money, being careful with every penny I spent. Then this incredible guy finally breaks down my walls enough for me to let him into that life, and in a month he shows me that I hadn’t been living a perfect life at all. I’d been stacking things in my favor, trying to prove with material things that I’m not Mom. It’s like I was still trying to prove that I survived our childhood.”
“Wow, you’re so much deeper than me,” Serena teased.
“Shut up. I’m being serious.”
“I know you are. I was, too. You are deeper than me. You always have been. You’re my responsible big sister. It’s your job to be more of a thinker and mine to be…me. I don’t think any of that is bad. What did you go home for anyway? Your mail goes to a post-office box, and you must have half your closet at Justin’s by now.”
“I do,” she said. It was an amazing feeling seeing their lives blending together in so many ways. “I’m making him a present for our one-month anniversary, and I needed some of my crafting supplies.”
“Seriously? Your one-month anniversary? Chloe Mallery, have you gone all swoony girl on me?” Serena laughed.
“I can’t help it,” she confessed a little giddily. “I’ve never allowed myself to be a swoony girl, but with Justin it’s not even a choice I’m making. It just happens. When he looks at me, or touches me, or just…God, Serena, you know what I mean.”
“Of course I do. You look at him like he’s hung the moon. I love Justin for making you so happy. But I have to tell you a secret.” She lowered her voice and said, “I can’t see him without hearing Long Dong Naked Man in my head.”
“Ohmygod! No!” Chloe snapped, but she was smiling so hard it hurt. “Do not think about my boyfriend that way.”
“I’m trying not to. But Emery made such a big deal out of how big it was when she saw him naked, that…you know. I can’t just turn that thought off.”
“Well, you have to, because he’s mine now. And I’ll freaking bring in the Men in Black to erase your memory if you don’t stop.”
Serena laughed hysterically. “It’s so fun teasing you! I don’t really think of that every time I see him. Just almost every time.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait! How wicked is Long Dong?”
“Goodbye, Serena.” Chloe ended the call and said, “Very wicked, but I’ll never tell you that, baby sister.”
JUSTIN SET