“It’s like a soul mate, except it’s a sister,” Yuna explains cheerfully.
“Oh.”
“And that’s my best friend, Nate.” Over her head, I mouth, If you embarrass me, you die.
If Nate sees it, he doesn’t react. He just smiles and shakes hands with Skittles. Tony, having spent most of his childhood in Europe, stands, puts his hands on her shoulders and air-kisses her on both cheeks. Nate looks slightly wistful, as though he should’ve thought of that.
“So good to finally meet you,” Tony says.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” Nate says. “I hope he didn’t mess things up too badly at the wedding. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let him take my jet.”
Yeah, yeah, give me shit because I grabbed a twin I didn’t know about. Bastard.
“It’s okay,” she says with a warm smile.
Ivy and Yuna hug her. “I’m so excited to meet you, Pascal,” Ivy says. “That’s such a unique and cool name.”
“And you’re gorgeous.” Yuna gives Skittles a once-over. “That hair! I wish I had your color.”
Skittles blushes, looking utterly cute. “Your hair’s gorgeous, too. I always wanted straight hair.”
“It’s boring.” Yuna pouts for a moment, looking down at her long mane balefully. “Court said you were having dinner with your family.”
“Change of plans.” The smile Skittles gives is weak.
Okay, I’ve waited long enough. “Let me show her the pizza place’s menu, in case she doesn’t like what we got.”
Before anybody can object, I steer her to the kitchen so we can talk.
“Are you all right?” I ask, keeping my voice low. Tony isn’t overly nosy, but the rest? I suppress a shudder.
“Well. Yes and no.”
I search her face, hating that I wasn’t there to shield her. “Did you have a hard time with your dad?”
“It wasn’t that bad,” she says. “Everyone else was very supportive.” Her face is composed, but I catch the small tremor of her chin, the brief breaking of eye contact. “He really meant everything he said on Monday.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Fucking Steve. I despise him for being such an asshole, and crushing my feeble hope that he was just off his meds on Monday.
“It’s okay. I didn’t expect him to change his mind or anything.” But the small voice says she’s feeling disappointed anyway.
“Hey, Court,” Nate yells from the living room. “Stop trying to sell her some fake story you can tell us. We all know what she really thinks about your performance. One lonesome fifty-dollar bill.”
What the fuck?
Skittles looks at me questioningly.
How the hell did he find out about the fifty bucks? I look around the room. Tony, my darling brother, seems to be inordinately interested in the ceiling.
“You bastard,” I say.
Tony laughs. Ivy shakes her head at him, while Yuna gives Nate a dirty look. “Oh, nice,” she says. “Now you’re making her embarrassed.”
“What she got to be embarrassed about?” Tony asks. “It’s really about Court, not her.”
Skittles is taking a moment to process. Finally she whispers, “They know about the money?”
“Well, yeah. They also know the spectacle I made in Hawaii.”