Pushing back my chair, I stagger out of the room, heading blindly for the bathroom. I shut and lock the door, and then I proceed to lose my dinner.
What the fuck, right?
Chapter Ten
Cosima
“Cosie,” my sister says. “Can we talk?”
I’m on my knees in front of my suitcase, gathering and folding my stuff, trying not to think. “Can we not?”
“Come on. Are you mad at me?”
I consider this. Decide to deflect. “You’re back in town, taking care of your business. You don’t need me here.”
“Cos… I got worried when you vanished yesterday. Why didn’t you return my calls?”
“Maybe I needed some time to myself.”
Time to feel sorry for myself, more like, to hide away, in coffee shops and the movie theater, the same thoughts whirling inside my head.
Soph tugs on her bangs, puts her hands on her hips and nods. “Does it have to do with that boy?”
I freeze in the process of folding a pair of black jeans. “What boy?”
“Oh, come on, don’t play dumb with me. The boy who came and talked to me yesterday, asking what my name is.”
“He did what?” I blink, letting the blouse I’d been folding fall into my open suitcase. “Who?”
She huffs, ambles over and sits down on the sofa beside me. “Merc.”
“Why didn’t you ever say you knew him?”
“What was there to say? We’re in Calculus class together. That’s all.”
“That’s all? You share a class with the hottest guy alive, and you don’t care?”
“Cos… I barely know him. Can’t remember his name most of the time.”
“So you didn’t… you haven’t slept with him?”
She gapes at me. “You serious? Knowing how I feel about Griffin?”
“I meant, you know. Earlier?”
“Nope. Never. He’s not my type.”
“Super-hot guys are not your type?” I mutter, trying to hide the wave of relief washing through me.
“Oh shut up.” She grins. “You like him, huh?”
Like? That’s the understatement of the year. “Maybe.”
“He’s the brother of Gigi Watson.”
“Am I supposed to know who that is?”
“She’s at my college. Looks a lot like him, in fact. All the girls were talking about how she’s dating an ex-con who’s also a hottie.”