Page 114 of Not In The Contract

“Does she think that extortion is normal sibling behavior?” Tamera gaped, then paused. “Wait, that’s not exactly far off.”

“She feels responsible for what her sister had to go through,” I said. “The guilt is written all over her face any time Jamie is around. Sometimes I can’t tell if Jamie is oblivious to it or if she knows exactly what she’s doing and does it on purpose.”

“The latter is a little sociopathic, isn’t it?”

“I suppose it would seem that way,” I murmured, deep in thought. “But it’s not uncommon for victims of trauma to respond that way.”

“Okay, if you’re going to start psychoanalyzing this woman, I’m going to need a drink.” Tamera grunted, getting to her feet and making her way to the kitchen. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a halt.

“Stop, okay, I won’t psychoanalyze the potential sociopath, happy?”

She sat down again. “Very,” she hummed. “When you do that, you have this habit of mumbling to yourself and it’s a little creepy. Like, Cath and Wren creepy.”

“Rude.” I chuckled, but sobered up almost immediately. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Tell Alex the truth,” Tamera said, as if it were the easiest thing anyone could do. “All of it. From your mushy-gushy feelings to how Jamie is interfering. It wouldn’t be right to hide this from her; it’s not fair to you or her.”

“I only have a few weeks left,” I pointed out, back-pedaling quickly. “I could just ride it out-”

“You obviously can’t!” Tamera hissed. “And you shouldn’t. It’s not a bad thing to fall for another human being, you know. But it is bad to manipulate other people. You’re supposed to be doing your whole thesis on the success of children who grew up in foster care, right?”

“Right.”

“Then isn’t this toxic relationship a teensy bit of a stain on that record of success you’re looking for?”

God damn Tamera for thinking. At all.

“I’m beginning to see where Cath and Wren get their creep factor from,” I teased half-heartedly. “You’re a lot scarier than I give you credit for, you know that?”

“Why?” She laughed. “Because I’m right all the time?”

“Because you have this unique way of breaking situations down into small pieces to examine how each of them fit together,” I corrected. “You weirdo.”

She shrugged, taking it as a compliment and moving on like it never happened.

“Just make sure you stop all of this moping,” she said. “You’re going to stain Mom’s favorite throw pillows and then guess who’s shopping for new ones this Christmas.”

After helping Tamera decorate her mom’s place for Junior’s party, I was on my way back to Alex’s place, my heart firmly lodged in my throat. Tamera’s words had done their job: I planned on talking to Alex about everything. All of it, as soon as possible. Even though my own fears clawed at my insides.

It wouldn’t be a pretty conversation, but with my time quickly running out I wasn’t left with many other options. I’d fallen for Alex. I knew it in my very bones. I wanted to take a chance on us. I hoped that maybe we could work something out. Maybe she and her sister could go to therapy to work on their relationship.

I wondered what that might be like. I wondered what a life with Alex might feel like, and if I’d ever earn a spot there in the first place. My heart weighed down with each step closer to the house.

Maybe I was better off not knowing.

38. Said and Done

Alex

“You’releavingalready?”Iasked, watching in surprise as Devon packed up her things.

She looked up at me through the curtain of hair shielding her face. “Oh, yeah, I have some errands to run before I finish up,” she lied.

I narrowed my eyes but let it go. She’d been quieter than usual and I figured she had a lot on her mind. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to breach the silence and ask what she needed from me.

“Do you need any help?” I asked, knowing my question sounded far too vague. But I needed to know if she was okay.

“I’m fine,” she said, and again there was a hint of a lie.