Minutes passed before I released Isaac, and minutes passed before I actually stood to leave the room. Once outside, I started for Jessie, Avie, and Mack’s bedroom to tell Evie the news.
I poked my head inside. “Evie?” I asked.
No response.
I looked around the room. No one was there. With a sigh, I walked all the way inside. “I’ll tell her later,” I whispered to myself. I needed time alone. Slowly, I crossed to the bottom mattress of the bunk bed and laid down on it, face down. Letting out a shuttering breath, I let the tears I had been holding in go.
A few minutes had passed when I heard the sound of door hinges creaking. I pulled myself up from the bed and looked toward the door, expecting to see Evie of Isaac.
Instead, I saw Zac.
“What’s going on?” he asked quietly. He sounded concerned.
“Zac -” I began, attempting to sit up.
He cut me off. “Don’t tell me I’m too young or I’m not gonna understand,” he insisted stubbornly, his face set. “You might be surprised.”
Something about the way he said it made me smile. He sounds so much like me, I thought, sniffing.
I held my hand out to him. Zac crossed the room and took it, sitting down next to me. “Okay,” he began solemnly. “Now, what happened? Did you and Evie have a fight?”
I nodded, squeezing his hand. “Something like that,” I said quietly.
“About Ike?” he asked.
I nodded again. “How did you know?”
He shrugged. “I’m twelve, not brain-dead,” he told me with a small smile. “I mean, first, Ike’s been telling Tay about how much he likes you since you came here. They thought I was asleep, but I wasn’t and . . . well, that’s not the point. Anyway, then, Evie gets bent out of shape and makes a comment about Ike. You go talk to her and come out and ask where Ike is. Now, you’re in here crying.”
I nodded. “Guess it’s kinda obvious,” I said quietly.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “The only thing is I can’t figure out what you fought about. I mean, does Evie have, like, a crush on Ike or something?”
I shook my head. “No,” I told him. “It’s just that . . . Ugh . . . We made a pact - me and Evie. We promised each other that no matter what, nothing would ever come between us. But now . . .” I paused, swallowing hard. “Now, Evie says that Ike’s coming between us.”
Zac nodded. “Is he?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I didn’t think so, but then Evie got all mad, so I’m not sure.” I sighed. “She said I had to choose one of them. I had to choose her, Zac.”
He shrugged. “Sounds to me like she’s jealous,” he said simply.
“I told you already,” I reminded. “Evie doesn’t have a thing for your brother -”
“Not jealous of you,” Zac said, cutting me off. “Jealous of Ike.”
“What’re you saying?”
“Look.” Zac sighed, giving my fingers a squeeze. “You and Eve have been best friends for, like, ever, right?” he asked. I nodded. “And how many boyfriends have you had over the years?”
I shrugged. “A couple. Not many,” I replied. “Zac, what’re you getting at?”
“What I’m getting at is that she never really had any competition for your time or anything. And now, you and Ike are . . . well, kinda . . . y’know . . . So, she’s jealous of him,” Zac explained. “She’s afraid she’ll lose you.”
I shook my head. “We’re kindred spirits. She’s never gonna lose me,” I insisted.
“She doesn’t know that,” Zac told me. “She’s afraid.”
“How do you know?” I demanded.
He shrugged. “Why else would she use the ‘choose him or me’ card?”
I shook my head but didn’t reply. There was nothing I could say to that comment.
He was right.
Continue
The Index
The Window Seat
