Page 66 of Royal Shark

She stretches her other leg. “Musta been. You were too busy teasing to ever talk to me.”

The cramp in my side eases. “Did you reallywantto talk to me?”

“No.”

I lift a palm in a gesture ofthere you go.

“Welp, as always, it's been bizarre. I gotta run.” She takes off on the loop I just did, her high ponytail bouncing.

I look toward home and think of the crowd there celebrating something I'm not ready to celebrate. Then I look back toward the distraction of pink, who actually made me laugh in the middle of my crisis.

I jog after her and catch up, running alongside her. “Hey.”

She does a double take. “You again? What gives?”

“What're you doing back home?”

“Can't I visit my parents?”

“You could, but don't they usually go out to see you in California?”

A beat passes before she says, “Yeah, well, I don't live there anymore.”

“Why?”

She huffs and speeds up. I keep up with her. “Why do you care?” she asks belligerently.

“I dunno. Curious.”

She shoos me away. “Go be curious somewhere else.”

“We're having a family party, and I don't feel like partying.”

“Why? Is it your birthday and you're feeling your age?”

I give her bouncy ponytail a tug. “Enough with the wisecracks about my age. You're only two years younger than me.”

She holds up a finger. “Youngeris the keyword.”

We run in silence for a few moments. I'm feeling a lot better now that I'm moving.

She gives me a sideways look. “Okay, just tell me what's got your pants on fire that you're running hell-mell through Prospect Park.”

“Hell-mell? Is that a word?”

“Spill it.”

“I just inherited my uncle's construction company, and I've got no prep. He's just gone—off to Florida. I'm good with my hands, good at giving out orders to the crew, but business shit was never in my domain. I don't know about sales or pitch meetings or the money stuff.”

She stops running and stares at me. “That's the most words I've ever heard you say at one time.”

I shove a hand through my hair. “Did you hear what I said? This entire business that's been going successfully for more than forty years suddenly dropped in my lap and I don't know shit about business!”

She rolls her eyes and starts jogging again.

I can't believe this. I spill my guts, which I never do with anyone, and she rolls her eyes?

“That's it?” I bark. “You got nothin' to say to that?”