“So, you brought up my relationship with my sister,” he says while looking down and deliberately kicking the sand with his bare feet as he walks. I have to wear sandals because I’m a baby that can’t handle hot sand. “Um… How’s your relationship with yours? You’ve never brought her up.”
And this is the one topic I wanted to avoid. Can’t we talk about the hot sand and my sandals instead?
“We’re close most days. She’s not as bad as everyone thinks, but she can be selfish. Sometimes she’s immature and doesn’t do the right thing or treat people with the respect they deserve. She’s just her, and she doesn’t really care what anyone else thinks or how her actions affect them most times. To be honest, she hides her good heart because I know it’s there. I’ve seen it.”
He nods slowly, as though he’s thinking really hard about something.
“Do you clean up her messes or something? That’s just a guess based on what you just said,” he says, adding that last part quickly.
“In business, there is no mess to clean up. She’s an excellent designer and she carries her own weight, even though I’d love it if she helped me with some of the less ‘fun’ things. Her personal life… Well, it’s her life, but I don’t always like the way she treats the ones in it, so yeah. I do try to limit the collateral damage.”
“Do you two… play games?”
My eyebrows go up in question, completely confused by that question. He glances over to see my expression then clears his throat.
“A lot of sisters play games with guys. Right? I was just asking if—”
“She’s up front with the guys she dates about what she wants, and I’ve never dated or ‘played’ with any guy she’s dated. If that’s what you’re asking,” I lie, considering I’m in a sticky situation with him.
His jaw tenses for a second before he shifts his gaze toward the ocean.
“Never?”
I’m not sure why he’s being so persistent with this line of questioning, but I try to play it off.
“Honestly? I break up with her boyfriends for her,” I say on a sigh, looking back down at my feet. I don’t tell him that I break up with them while pretending to be her.
“Why?” is his only response, even though his tone is neutral and his eyes are still on the water.
“Because some of those guys deserve to be told she’s done, even though she doesn’t find it important enough to do herself. She thinks ignoring them will give them the hint they need. But I break up with them for her, then I keep her phone in case they call…”
My voice trails off because I realize I’m about to blab everything to him.
He seems to get lost in thought, as though he’s really chewing over my words. It has me nervous. He finally turns back to face me, then moves his gaze ahead of him.
“What would happen if you actually liked one of those guys?”
This is way too close to home for a topic of conversation.
“I don’t know. I’ve never dated anyone she has dated. Most of the guys who are interested in her only want one thing. Nothing deeper.”
I swear I see the ghost of a smile on his lips before it’s banished.
“Give me a hypothetical answer, Bo. If you liked him, what would you do?”
My stomach tightens, and I try to ignore the pounding of my heart. There’s no way he could possibly know, but it seems like he does.
No. No. Nothing about twins has been mentioned, and not even he is that smart.
“I’d try to get to know him before passing too much judgment. Then… I don’t know. I guess I’d have to see.”
It looks like he’s trying not to smile, and I feel like my cheeks are on fire.
“Dating a guy your sister dated isn’t a turn off?” he muses.
“Very much so. But it’s not a deal-breaker. My sister is physical only. Not emotional… I think an emotional attachment is a much bigger deal than a physical one… Does that sound stupid?”
He laces our fingers together before stopping and turning us back toward the bonfire.