to say that.”
“I know it’s a lot to take in. And I understand if you have questions or—”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that.” Katie shook her head. “I kind of wondered if maybe you were bi, to be honest. Or gay, or ace, or something. I just didn’t expect you to tell me.”
“You wondered?”
“Well.” Katie shrugged. “You never date anyone.”
“I date people!”
“Yeah, but never for very long. It’s always seemed a little—I don’t know. Like your heart wasn’t in it. And you’re clearly not super into Dad’s brand of church. And it’s a small town and a while ago, I sort of wondered, well, what if you weren’t straight, but you didn’t feel like you could come out?”
“Oh.” I blinked. “Oh. Well, that’s…not wrong.” I paused. “It doesn’t bother you?”
“God no,” Katie said. “Really, it doesn’t. I just thought you were going to tell me you were too stressed with work and stuff and I couldn’t stay with you any longer.”
“Are you kidding? You can stay as long as you want. I told you that. You’re the whole reason I still live on Summersea, you know.”
“I feel so bad that you had to stay because of me.”
“Hey.” I looked at her sharply. “None of that. I wanted to stay. And not just because I was worried. I love you, and I wanted to be here for you growing up.”
Katie shook her head wonderingly. “You’re like, the anti-Dad, you know that? You’re everything he’s not.”
I laughed. “I’ve tried.”
She leaned against me for a minute. “You’re a good brother. And a good person.”
So I messed up her hair. Because I kind of had to, in that situation. It’s just what you do. Katie pulled away and glared at me.
“Thinking about taking those compliments back?”
“Considering it.” She looked distinctly unamused.
“So you really thought I was bi, huh?” I couldn’t help laughing a little. “So much for me trying to hide it.”
“I mean, it was just a background thought, until a few weeks ago.”
“What changed a few weeks ago?”
Katie smirked. “You’re not a very good liar.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that even if I’d believed that those dirty clothes in the bathroom were yours—which I didn’t, because I know your wardrobe—there was a pair of boots on your porch that morning I came over that were two sizes too big for you.”
“Oh, God. I didn’t even think about his boots.”
I clapped a hand to my mouth and Katie’s eyes sparkled.
“So you can tell your boyfriend he’s allowed to come around when I’m here. You don’t have to keep up the whole ‘just a friend’ guise. I’m not Dad.”
My face was burning. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Right. Sure.”
“He’s really not. We’re just—”
“Friends?” Katie arched an eyebrow.
“Or something,” I said. “I honestly don’t even know anymore. He couldn’t get out of here fast enough this morning.”
“He stayed over?”
“Don’t get so excited. He slept on the couch.” She didn’t need to know that I’d slept there, too.
I was not having this conversation with my sister. I couldn’t even think straight around Connor, much less have a coherent discussion about my utter lack of any kind of functional relationship with him, friendship or otherwise.
“Anyway, Dad hates him for reasons that have nothing to do with him being my boyfriend. Which he’s not.”
“Sure. Just keep telling yourself that.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I know.” Katie grinned. “But you already told me I can stay here forever, so you can’t get rid of me. And I think you should invite your not-boyfriend over for dinner. So that I can not-grill him about your not-relationship.”
“Try it and I will definitely not not-chain you to the couch after all.”
“The couch?” Katie laughed. “But if you chain me there, he won’t have anywhere to sleep except your room. Or not-sleep, I should say.”
“Good lord, you’re a minor. Why am I even discussing this with you?”
“Because you have questionable judgement?”
I snorted. “I suppose the past couple days have made that pretty clear.”
“Well,” Katie said. “I won’t keep pushing. Mostly because I need to go back inside and get more ice cream before I do anything else. But if you ever did want him to come over, I just want you to know I support that. And you.”
I rolled my eyes, but shifted Gretchen to one arm and stood up, offering Katie my hand as she pushed herself up from the steps.
“Same here, kid. Same here.”
19
Connor
“Are you still reading that?”
I looked up to see Em frowning at me across the living room. Actually, no. Not at me—at my book. I