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“We almost killed each other a few times, you know that, right?” Stella asked, shaking her head.
“I’m sure it wasn’t fun, but you got there in the end. Everything is good now.”
“I’m still mad,” I repeated.
“Everything ismostlygood.”
“All right, I have another question,” Winnie piped up. “Sure, you’re super mature and all now, but you kept glaring over at them all day today. So either you’re lying about being okay with it and hiding it terribly, or there’s something else we don’t know.”
“I’m not lying about being okay with them,” Nick said quickly.
“So why glare?”
“Um, reasons?”
Winnie arched an eyebrow.
“Wait, she’s right. You were being weird today.” Stella turned on him too. “Are you lying?”
“He wouldn’t apologize if he were lying,” I cut in. “That’s not his style.”
“Something is going on.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you notice too much?” Nick asked Winnie.
“Every day. Now answer the question.”
“It’s nothing serious, but I can’t exactly say. I don’t want to take away from anything that just happened. Especially my apology. This is a serious moment.”
“And you being annoying earlier wasn’t serious?”
“It was for something ... fun. I wasn’t actually mad.”
“Then what was it?” Stella asked. “Tell me or I’ll sic Amma on you.”
“Amma started this whole thing, so I doubt she’d be mad. But if you have to know, it was a bet.”
“A ...” Stella’s jaw dropped. “Youbeton us?”
“Yes,” Nick said. “And I lost.”
Winnie cackled. “Oh, I love it when you lose. Good job, Nick.”
“How was I supposed to know they’d get togetherduringthe snowstorm? I thought it would be after.”
“Haven’t you ever read a romance novel, loser?”
“Why would you get in on a bet in the first place?” I asked. “You knew how serious it was to me.”
“I didn’t even realize I was in on it until Amma asked me when it would happen. She’s a mastermind, you guys. And I couldn’t back out. Both Mom and her would have never let me live it down.”
The Summerswereserious about bets.
“You’re ridiculous,” I said.
“Does it make you madder?”
I thought about it. “Depends on how much money you lost.”