“What? No! You can’t. I need you here for the rollout of the fall line!”
“You know as well as I do that it won’t actually roll out for at least another month. As for the rest, you can do it without me. The deadline for the winter line sketches isn’t until after I get back. I can’t even remember the last time I took a vacation, so I’m owed this.”
She starts to argue, I can feel it, but she blows out a frustrated breath instead.
“Fine. Do whatever. Now ask me about my life these days. I feel like I haven’t talked to you in centuries.”
I feel pathetic because this is the longest I’ve ever gone without talking to my sister, and it sucks. But it’s hard to call her when Jax is around.
“How’s your life?” I ask, pulling out a change of clothes for the beach. No sense in showering before playing in the sand, especially since I showered last night.
“It’s great. I met a guy—”
“Are you serious?” I interrupt, groaning.
“—and he’s great,” she goes on, acting as though I didn’t just butt in. “In fact, this might possibly be the first time I want more, Bo. This is the real deal.”
A slow smile curls up on my lips.
“Really?”
“Really. Really.” She giggles. She freaking giggles. Bora doesn’t giggle. That’s too girly and annoying for her to do. She heckles gigglers and mocks them relentlessly until their giggle turns into a sob.
“That’s amazing.”
“I know. It happened fast. I’ve never once been swept off my feet, but it’s like he really knows me, Bo. I’ve never had this before, and I’ve never wanted it before now. So… Yeah. I’m kinda happy.”
I can hear the smile in her voice, and my own heart beats happier just for her.
“Good. I’m sick of breaking up with guys for you, especially since I sort of suck at it.”
She snorts again, laughing harder. Hearing her this happy? I don’t think I’ve ever heard her this happy before.
“Give a girl her prince, and she’s snorting every two seconds.”
Annnd she snorts again. This time I laugh with her. I don’t think we’ve laughed together like this since we were kids, and it feels good.
“Well,” she says in a labored, half-chuckled breath, “I need to get ready. My man is coming to pick me up. Call me later. I’d tell you to say hi to Jax for me, but that might be awkward.”
I freeze, and my smile becomes as fake as the borrowed giddiness.
“He doesn’t know yet.”
She sucks in a breath. “How the hell can he possibly still think you’re me? No way. He has to know.”
“He doesn’t. How could he? And how the hell do I tell him?”
She grows quiet for a little bit, so quiet that I check to make sure she hasn’t hung up. Do you have any idea how many times she has hung up while I stupidly sat on the other line just waiting for an answer?
To my surprise, she’s still there, just eerily silent.
“Get him drunk and tell him,” she finally says.
“What?”
“It’s the best way to do it. People are much more forgiving when they’re drunk, and too prideful to admit they were too drunk the next day when it all comes back to them.”
Frowning, I start shoving my shorts down my legs, scanning the closet for a bikini to wear that isn’t going to show so damn much. No such luck.