Page 60 of Things I Read About

“Ok, no more F word.” Sadie walks to Susan and puts a hand on her shoulder. “And since what’s done is done, how about we switch from the past to the present?”

“Yeah, I mean, you fainted,” Sam squeals, loving the drama.

“And you weigh a lot more than I thought,” Skye says. I was told she caught me before I hit the floor. “Good thing I work out.”

“Sorry,” I say.

“I mean, we get it. We saw him,” Sadie says out of the side of her mouth.

Susan glares at her. “Saw that he’s covered in tattoos.”

“Turns out, Sal likes tattoos,” Skye says, smiling wide.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.” Susan is pacing again. “Sadie, take him to L.A. with you and Shep, and leave Dean here instead.”

“I asked Dean about that, but he said Nate was a better fit for being on his own here. Plus, we already have a routine with Dean.”

“So, then she comes home and stays with me. No bodyguard necessary.”

Sam chimes in, “But what about Ringo and all his little friends here, are they coming to your house too, Suze?”

“Plus,” Skye adds. “Sally is down here for a reason. Finding an apartment, her orientation, and so on.”

“Hm.” Sadie paces too. “If she goes home with you, I’m not sure I can get someone else here to house sit that fast. This isn’t normal house sitting.”

All I can think as my sisters make plans around me is,shedoesn’t want to go home.

Skye laughs. “That’s an understatement.”

“I like this better; she won’t be here all alone,” Sam pipes in.

I agree with her, but don’t have a chance to say so.

“No, because she’ll be here with a strange man.”

Skye rolls her eyes at Susan’s outburst. “He’s not a strange man he’s her ex-lover.”

“I’m sorry, but this is just so exciting,” Sam says, laughing.

Skye and Sadie laugh too.

Susan and I—not laughing.

“I—”

Susan cuts me off. “She is not staying here.”

“She’s not a kid anymore, Suze,” Sadie says.

“She,” Skye says loudly, nudging my knee with hers. “Can decide for herself. Sal, what’s it going to be?”

“Thank you,” I exhale heavily. “I will be safe with Nate. And I don’t want to go home. I’m staying and so is he.”

Sam scoots so far forward, she almost falls off the couch. “Are you getting back together?”

“We were never together, and he doesn’t want anything to do with me now. So, no.”

Skye tilts her head at me. “And what does Joe think?”