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“But I need help, Daddy,” said Luna “I can’t get the tangles out by myself”

“Baby,” snickered Hallie, grabbing her brush and easily pulling it through her smooth, damp hair

“Shut up! Yours is just easier because it’s straight!”

“Stop,” I ordered, dropping onto the foot of Hallie’s bed “Bringtangles out of hair”

“But not gum,” Hallie said

I picked up a stuffed aniuin she called Rupert—and threw it at her When it hit the floor, I heard a coin go rolling beneath the dresser

“My lucky penny!” Hallie dove for it, reaching under the dresser where it had rolled “I forgot I put it in the hole in Rupert’s belly last night!”

“I get a point back for finding it” I took the coles from the bottom

“I don’t know if that counts as finding it,” said Hallie, “but okay”

“So ten out of ten for today?”

“I guess,” she said, like she was doing me a favor

I pumped my fist “Fuck yeah”

“That’s another dollar, Daddy,” Luna said “Remember the swear jar”

“There’s no way I’o broke”

“Or ,” Hallie said

I leveled her with a look “Not Fucking Likely”

But later on, when I went into the kitchen to grab irls—or e while I was in the shower and written on top of it DADDYS SWAIR BOX (MONEY FOR FUCHUR CAT)

I peeked inside and saw that at least they’d left the cupcakes in the fridge Shaking ain

I could say one thing for theo

Five

Winnie

I texted Ellie and told her I was running late and not to pick me up until fifteen minutes after seven

It was a lie, but I knew Dex and the girls would be gone by then, and I couldn’t risk running into them outside

I was mortified by what had happened earlier

Mortified and sore—I had a bruise on my ass the size of Texas

When I saw her pull up, I said one last prayer I could make it to her car unseen, pulled lasses, and opened the front door When I was sure the coast was clear, I yanked it shut behindmy chin from my chest

Throwing er seat, I pulled the door shut and hunched down “Twenty-four Maple Lane! And step on it!”

“Cal that hat?”

“I’ll explain in a minute” I winced as I shifted on the seat to buckle my seatbelt “Ouch”

“What’s wrong with you?”