u

. I tell myself that it's because we're not supposed to do this. Cut through her yard. She hates it. And

gh ou

tree aside so I can slip through the low hedge that surrounds the back

f. Some leftover emotion from twenty-five years

says. "You

w wh

ars back. Paul and Billi

. Should've shown up for her funeral, at least. Or maybe because it's a symptom of why I'm standing here in this al

rong?" Tr

his hand and turning my back to

we doing

im and shrug. "W

t. It's something I like about him. And usually there's some stu

ot to

ced drunk and talk about old times." He pauses for a m

"No," I say. "E

d high school and went our separate ways, it was never the same again. It was

sks. Smiling, but for the first time I can ever

"That's probabl

ooks at my shoes in my hand. "You should

at him. I shrug. "How about another

ell that he was never the one to carry m

I jump on, laughing again. T

guilty too. For liking that stupid rock crawling. For making

ntly. This is what yo

to the city and never see him again. It's a stupid idea because I'll come home for holidays and stuff and Trent's parents live right across the greenspace from mine. But I'll never really have another reason to see T

once Trent sets me down

stening as he sticks the key

ind. I would li

ike this has been our conversation the whole night. Feeling things, then forgetting things, then fe

from uncertainty to certainty. "Get me good and drunk, T

use that feels like crossing a li

e

'd rather do right now, Julia Anderson. No

the shop, pretending to carefully pick his way around massive tool chests, and

is spotless and he knows it just as well in the dark as he does in

any of that. Because

long hallway away from the garage. If we'd come to the shop from the front

ays, "You go first. That way

quite capable of walking up step

steps are steep. Like whoever built them did so

e. Almost touching me. In fact, I can feel his knees brushing up against the hem of my dress with each step. He grips

e and make my skin burst out in goosebumps.

am I feeling this way because Eric is

other part knew that came with consequences. So maybe there were a few daydr

I had left. But do I care i

re

has to reach past me to unlock his door. And I wonder for a second i

terloper girls. So I can push you up against

as Trent opened the do

m not OK but I r

find a

euvers. And I think... Yup. This is Trent Tur

re gone and I miss t

he's got his back to me,

It's my tu

rmal one, and I take his word on that. "

nis and mimos

too loud, but also too genui

ps pressed together. "

coat off as he goes. Tossing it over the back

and pauses for a moment as he

lder and says, "That's

I here

, then two short glasses, a

'm really here and I desperately want to know.

ght. I wouldn't call it planned, but

Julia. And for some reason that really fucking bothers me tonight." He pours the other glass, turns and

a second. Because that

se I'm his sister and

brother to me too, and what we're going

e a sip I deci

Trent Turner to be the pe