Page 109 of In Doubt

“See!” Sia says, pointing at me. “These are all classic signs of heartbreak.”

I snap my teeth in Sia’s finger’s direction.

“You just like to make everything over dramatic.”

“And you don’t?”

“No,” I say, straightening my glasses and folding my arms across my chest.

“So you aren’t the little sister who’s dragging her big brother halfway across the world to come pick her up?”

“Sia,” I whisper.

Sia sighs and drops the menu on the mattress beside her. “I’m sorry Giorgie, it’s just you still haven’t told me what happened and I’m worried about you.”

She rests her head on my shoulder, taking my hand.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened if you don’t want to, Giorgie,” she says, stroking my fingers. “But you might feel better if you do.”

Sia’s way more street smart than me. I always feel like such a naïve baby beside her. But it’s sorely tempting to tell her about what happened. It’s weighing over me. And I don’t like keeping secrets from the people I love.

I take a deep breath.

“OK,” I say. “But I’m going to need ice cream first. And vodka.”

“On it!” Sia says, leaping to her feet and sprinting to the door.

“Don’t they have room service?” I call after her.

“Always takes too long,” she calls back.

She returns several minutes later balancing a bottle of vodka, two glasses, a tub of ice cream and two spoons in her arms. She drops them all onto the bed, then tugs off the cap from the vodka bottle with her teeth and pours me almost half a glass.

“Bottoms up,” she says, passing my glass.

“Cheers,” I say, taking a long swig. The alcohol hits me right at the back of my throat sparking a coughing fit and my eyes to water.

Sia peels back the lid of the ice cream and plunges in a spoon, taking a huge scoop before passing it on to me. I take a much smaller scoop and nurse it for a few minutes.

“Ready?” Sia asks me, resuming her position beside me on the bed.

“I guess … you’re just going to think I’m such an idiot.”

“You want me to remind you about the fuck up with my last boyfriend?” She chuckles, then prods her spoon in my direction. “No one who knows you would ever think you were an idiot, Giorgie.”

“Well, you might now,” I lick at the spoon, my eyes flicking momentarily to the blank window. “I fucked up my heat suppressants. I mean, you can’t get more stupid than that.”

“Hey,” Sia says, throwing up her hands. “Wasn’t your niece a result of your sister-in-law fucking up her birth control? And I once dropped my week’s supply off the side of a boat. I have no judgement.”

“What?” I shriek.

“Long story,” she says, waving away my inquiries with her hand. “It happens to the best of us. It doesn’t make you an idiot.”

“Going into heat on a really important field trip? One that was meant to set up my career?”

Sia snorts. “Fuck ups always happen at the worst time. Did you plan your heat for now?”

“No,” I say emphatically.