The Secret of You and Me - Melissa Lenhardt Page 0,85
an affinity for them.”
“I hate the little fuckers.”
“You do not.”
“I’m not raising chickens, Sophie.”
“It was a joke.”
“Come live with me in DC. You would love it,” Nora said.
“I’m not leaving Logan. It’s going to be bad enough I’m a lesbian. If I skipped town to be with my girlfriend? My God, could you imagine the gossip?”
Nora propped herself up on her elbow. “What do you mean, bad enough you’re a lesbian?”
“I mean people are going to freak out is all, and I’m not looking forward to it.”
“You’re not looking forward to finally being honest about who you are?”
“Don’t twist my words around.”
“This is why I didn’t want to talk.” Nora started to get up, but I grabbed her arm.
“Hang on. Come back.”
Nora settled back down beside me. We lay on our sides, faces close like we used to. “First things first,” I said. “I think your bed has shrunk.”
“It’s always been a twin. Are you complaining?”
“Right now? No. Second, I love you, I love you, I love you.”
“Ditto.”
Ditto was the code word we used to say I love you when around other people. We’d used it sparingly because there was nothing teenagers loved more than trying to figure out inside jokes.
I pushed her shoulder. “Say the words.”
“I love you, I love you, I love you.”
“So, let’s remember that first, okay?”
“Okay.”
“This ‘what happens next’ conversation? We need to have it because I’m not sure I’m going to be able to let you go.”
“Me either.”
“But, let’s not have it right now, okay? Let’s just enjoy today. Each other. We only have a little bit of time left, and I don’t want to spend it fighting. We have two more weeks to do that.”
“You started the conversation, Soph. I wanted to make out.”
“Shit, you’re right. I’m sorry. Tell me more about how much you love my lips. When did this start? You never told me before.”
“When I didn’t have them.” Nora traced my lips with her finger. “Have you ever noticed Cate Blanchett’s lips?”
I started laughing. If she only knew. “Yes.”
“Yours are like hers, except yours are here, begging to be kissed.” Nora pushed me on my back and straddled me, holding my arms up over my head. “Now, whatever will we find to do for the next thirty minutes?”
“I don’t know, but this looks promising.”
Nora leaned down and brushed her lips against mine. “You have no idea...”
The was a thump in the distance.
“Was that a car door?”
“Shouldn’t be. I told the high school kids not to come.”
A child’s squeal of laughter cut through the air.
“Shit,” Nora said, rolling off the bed. “It’s Mary. I forgot she was coming.”
“Our clothes are in the other room.”
“Nora,” Mary called. “Is that Sophie’s...”
“Look, Mommy, Aunt Nora’s clothes are on the floor like mine,” Hunter said.
Nora went to the dresser and pulled on panties and a T-shirt.
Mary’s voice dropped, and I could hear her talking to her husband. “Kids,” Mary said in a too-loud voice, “I forgot, we’re supposed to meet Aunt NoNo at Emmadean’s.” The door closed loudly, and we were alone.
“Shit,” I said.
“I’ll get the clothes.”
Nora opened the door and Mary stood there, arm raised to knock. Her eyes went wide at the sight of me sitting on Nora’s bed, naked and disheveled. I pulled a sheet up over me.
After the initial shock, Mary started laughing. “Holy shit.”
“Out,” Nora said, pushing her sister through the door and closing it behind her.
My body went numb, my mind blank. This wasn’t on the level of my mother walking in on us, but it was close.
Nora was back quickly. She closed the door behind her and handed me my clothes. “I’m sorry I forgot,” Nora said.
I shook my head and got dressed. It seemed my decision as to if and when I would share my secret was made.
“I’ll talk to Mary. She won’t tell.”
I laughed. “Mary has never liked me.”
“That’s not...”
I silenced Nora with a look. We both knew it was true. I ducked down to look at myself in the dresser mirror, running my fingers through my mussed hair. I applied lipstick carefully, as if it was a typical day and I was getting ready to run errands. I stared at myself in the mirror, impressed that I didn’t look like I wanted to vomit, which I did. Turned out telling Nora my story had been the easy part. I shouldered my purse and faced Nora, who’d put on a pair of jeans.
“Not how I wanted to spend our extra hour,” I said.