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He glanced toward the closed door. “Oh, I thought we were friends today.”

I cringed. I’d hurt his feelings. I could see it on his face. He’d told his whole family about me for weeks now and was quick to call me his girlfriend to his mom the other day. And I hadn’t said anything about him to my family. “I’m sorry. My sister and I don’t share a lot of personal things.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. She tells our mom everything, so I kind of censorwhat I say to her. And she doesn’t share much with me because I think she thinks I’m judging her.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, probably. It bothers me that she is so loyal to our mom after everything she’s done.”

“I understand that.”

“You and Brett are close, right? How do you do it?”

“I share things with him. Even things he might not agree with.”

I gasped in faux shock. “You want me to share things with people?” I slid across the mattress, closing the space between us and held out my hand, palm up. He placed his hand into mine.

“I’m going out of town tomorrow to see my mom,” I said.

“Whoa. Really?”

“For the Fourth.”

“Did you just learn about this today?” Asher asked.

“No, I decided last week, but I must’ve been blocking it out of my mind because I literally didn’t remember it was tomorrow until my sister told me just now.”

“You don’t want to go?”

“Weirdly, I kind of do. I mean, that’s why I’m going. I blameyou.”

“Me?” he asked.

“You’ve put me in a good mood lately. You’re making me do things I don’t normally do.”

He laughed. “Don’t give me all the credit. You have pretty good instincts.”

I gave a breathy laugh. “Because I like you?”

“Because those instincts lead you to do kind things. Like helpa pathetic guy in a coffee shop who you think is getting roasted by his friend. If your kind heart is leading you to visit your mom, maybe it’s time.”

I slid closer and he moved his knee, which had been between us, toward the headboard. I scooted into the space he’d created and snaked my arms under his, laying my head against his chest. He pulled on the ends of my hair and rested his cheek on the top of my head.

“Hold on one second,” I said.

He nodded.

I stood and opened my door. “Zoey!” I called out.

“Yeah!” she answered.

“Asher is my boyfriend!”

“Okay, cool!” Zoey yelled back.

I shut the door and resumed my position. “Look at me, sharing things with my sister. I feel closer to her already.”