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“Is playing with leprechauns and fairy sprites better?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Better than being cooped up inside.”
“Who are you avoiding—me or Mom?”
Her question takes me by surprise, and so does the streak of hurt that flashes across her face, so quickly that if I’d been anyone else, I would never have noticed it. “I’m not avoiding anyone. I just like to go exploring, Sadie. That’s all.”
Guilt roils inside my stomach. Until Gavin, I’d never kept a secret from my sister.
We shared everything. Food, clothes, toys when we had any at all. Before we moved to this house, we shared a room, sometimes even a bed.
Sadie narrows her eyes at me. “Why are you lying to me? Do you think I’m stupid? Or that I’ll tell mom whatever your secret is?”
If I wasn’t holding my di
The blood drains from her face, only to reappear in blotchy pink patches on her cheeks. “If that’s the way you really feel, then get out,” she yells.
Damn it. “I didn’t mean it like that, Sadie. I’m sorry.” My frustration evaporates instantly. I hate that I’ve hurt her, even unintentionally.
But… is it so horrible that I’m finally carving out a life of my own? For the first time, I have a secret. Someone who belongs just to me. I’m not ready to share Gavin with anyone. Even Sadie.
Yet. Eventually, I want him to meet my sister. And it would be nice to walk through town, hand in hand. To go to the movies or out for ice cream.
For now though, he’s the best kind of secret.
Mine.