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"Buck’s full of shit You know that, Maggie," she scoffed

Maggie nodded "True… Plus, I ood, from what I recall Too slobbery" She shuddered "What is it with slobbery kissers? Are they trying to drown us in spit? I mean, Jesus, s every now and then"

Her hand squeezing hed, and while I could hear the contrived ring to it, Maggie didn’t I knehere Erin’s iven her many details, and she’d not asked for any It was difficult enough to speak about that night in generalities The point hat had happened, and what had almost happened, not the particulars of it

"So you aren’t hooking up with hiie pressed She was only curious, but it rankled to have my name joined with Buck’s in any way

"Like Erin said--he’s full of shit" I was curiousabout ed "Trisha said her little sister’s boyfriend said Buck was hassling Kennedy about it Those two are like those big goats that butt heads over the girl goats I think Buck’s still pissed that he was legacy and Kennedy still beat hie class president"

That was the complication I couldn’t remember before--the all-important initial conflict between them The start of their weird brotherly rivalry I frowned "But Kennedy was legacy, too"

Maggie licked Oreo cruacy and his daddy was pledge class prez He thought he had it wrapped up"

I sat up, beco furious as Buck’smy ex "And that translates into the need for Buck to spread lies that I’ him?" Not to mention the fact that he’d actually assaulted me

"I didn’t say it made any sense"

Erin pulled her notes onto her lap "Okay ladies, which constellations do we think we’ll have to plot on the star chart portion of this test?"

Giving e of subject, I shoved thoughts of Buck as far away froe to do

Chapter 14

After three … cone Mom alore, plus some other undefinable scent that n I didn’t quite belong here anyed my bass inside, still nestled safely within its wheeled traveling case With no parents and no Coco, there was little reason to ainst the wall, where it stood like another piece of furniture The lights in the house were tio on and off at will, with the exception of the kitchen lighting and the lamps in my bedroom, which probably wouldn’t come on at all otherwise

There was food in the pantry and freezer, but barely anything in the fridge My parents had cleared out all of the perishable stuff before their trip, not knowing I was coht, since I never told the their plane, adding: Have fun with Erin We’ll see you nextnever double-checked oing hoetarian lasagna for dinner, and transferred a ground turkey patty fro lunch There was half a package of tater tots in the freezer, too, and I found an unopened bottle of cranberry cocktail in the pantry Ifor one

After watching a couple of sitcom reruns, I switched the television off, scooted the walnut coffee table fro, and unpackedwith a plant stand when I couldn’t find s of a prélude piece I’d begun co I expected to hear while scribbling notes onto staff paper was the doorbell I’d never been afraid to be at home alone, but then I’d never been so co no one was ho, and heard me quit I lay the bass on its side and crept to the solid door, standing onstraight at hts of the veranda He couldn’t see me, of course, but he’d answered this door many times and knew the view from the inside almost as well as I did

I unlocked and opened the door, but didn’there?"

He glanced behind me and heard the utter quiet of the house "Are your parents out?"

I sighed "They aren’t here"

He frowned "Aren’t here tonight, or aren’t here over break?"

I’d forgotten how readily Kennedy could zero in on asn’t said That characteristic probably accounted for most of his debate wins "They aren’t here at all--but why are you here?"

He leaned a shoulder into the door frame "I texted first but you didn’t answer" I probably hadn’t heard the text alert Little could be heard over the sound ofdinner, Mom reminded me to make sure I had you over by 1:00 tomorrow--and yes, that ht, and then I thought this ht be a welcome escape fronored his question I couldn’t help but notice that he said we broke up as though our breakup was a h I hadn’t been the blindsided idiot of the equation

"You wantlunch and pretend we’re all fine, just so you don’t have to tell your parents we broke up?"

He s of a coward I can tell them if you want, and say I’ve invited you to co to them, if you don’t want to TrustMy little bro’s had a weed habit for over a year--parties so hard he’d put most of the brotherhood to shame, and they have no idea"

"Aren’t you worried about hirades are still decent He’s just bored Besides, he’s not my kid"

"But he’s your little brother" I only understood sibling relationships in theory, since I’d never had one, but I assuic would dictate some sense of responsibility Kennedy seemed to feel none