Somebody Else's Sky (Something in the Way #2)(66)

"Well, you're going to college soon. How much longer-"

"Lay off," I said. "She's a f-she's just a kid."

"I'm not a kid," Lake said.

I wanted to shake her every time she denied it. She needed to be young and carefree as long as possible. If not for herself, then for me.

Lake stood up, dropping her fork on the plate. "Just because I'm not a slut like some people doesn't mean I'm a child."



       
         
       
        

"No, you're not a slut at all, are you? You probably had the chance to lose your virginity to your crush and you couldn't even do that. You're a prude."

Lake's face went white, and maybe mine did, too. Did Lake have a crush on Corbin?

"Probably saving yourself for the one," Tiffany muttered. "Like a baby."

"What's with you?" I asked, my temper rising. "Why are you being so vicious?"

She shook her head at me. "What do you care? And why don't you ever make me breakfast?"

"I would, if you ate breakfast." I held up the pan. "Here. Want this?"

She made a face. "No."

"Then what's your problem?"

"Nothing." She came back to me and rose onto the balls of her feet. "I'm sorry. You know how I am in the mornings. Kiss?" When I just stared at her, she pouted. "Please?"

I leaned in and gave her what she wanted. I had no choice. When I pulled back, Lake had left the room. I didn't blame her. Just seeing Corbin peck her on the mouth last night had put me on edge. Over the edge. I'd wanted to wring his neck.

"Why do you say stuff like that to her?" I asked, scraping eggs onto a plate.

"You know why."

"No, I don't."

"She needs to hear it, Manning." She took a sip of her coffee. "She has a crush on you."

Fuck. I turned my back and opened the fridge, hiding my face. Why was she bringing this up? "She does not."

"No? What about that night?"

I froze, not even daring to take a breath, racking my brain for a night, any night, she could be talking about that wasn't that one. Dark highway, wind-in-her-hair, Summer Triangle on a black lake. "What are you talking about?"

"She forced her way into your truck the night you were supposedly committing robbery. What, you thought I didn't know?"

Her tone told me she knew I didn't. This was the first I'd heard of it. Lake had sworn to me she wouldn't tell anyone the truth about that night, but could I really blame her if she had? It'd all gone bad so fast, and she'd had no one to confide in. Slowly, I shut the door. "Nothing happened."

"Obviously-she doesn't have the guts. And yet you were stupid enough to get in a car alone with her again. Why? Do you have a crush on her, too?"

I turned quickly. I was the crush Tiffany'd been talking about just now. The one Lake hadn't lost her virginity to. Not Corbin. "Do I have a crush on Lake?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level. "What's gotten into you? She's your sister." 

Lake returned to the living room dressed in shorts with her bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm going."

"You didn't finish your breakfast," I said.

"I told you I wasn't hungry." She avoided our eyes as she walked to the front door. "Dad'll be here any minute."

"We could've taken you home," I said.

Lake didn't even glance back as she walked out, closing the door gently behind her.

I turned back to Tiffany, who was watching the door. "Did she have fun?" she asked.

I dumped the contents of Lake's dish onto mine. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Absentmindedly, she stirred more creamer into her coffee. "Did she?"

"She said she had a great time."

"Then why did she need to be picked up? Did something happen?"

I thought back to when I'd pulled up to the hotel, to Corbin and Lake standing in the lobby, smiling, kissing. I should've been grateful she hadn't slept with him, but I didn't like that Corbin had even tried. He probably hadn't been the first, and he definitely wouldn't be the last.

"I don't know," I said, forking some eggs into my mouth. It was partially true. Lake hadn't told me outright why she'd asked to be picked up. "She's a teenage girl."

"I'm sure it wasn't because of Corbin. He's too sweet."

Sweet. Fuck sweet. He was a teenage boy first. "How do you know?" I chewed. "Sometimes it's those guys you have to look out for."

"Because we've known his family a while. He and his brothers are perfect gentlemen."