Dirty Secrets

Questions Forever Unanswered

"You rented a room to who?" My voice bordered on shrill.

"I think the better question is, why didn't you tell me you've been spending so much time with him?" Nicole shot back.

My sister's familiar, mocking tone and smirk grated on me, and I groaned in response. "I didn't feel like getting into it. And how do you know we've been hanging out?"

"Catalina told me. I saw her yesterday at the school. She was there to pick up her mom. Did you know Cat's mom will probably be Grace's second-grade teacher next year?"

I mumbled a yes. My best friend could not keep her mouth shut, apparently.

"Cat said you've been ignoring her. But she laughed about it, and I invited her to dinner on Saturday. Also, Leo mentioned it when he called, said he's seen you several times over the last few days. He was pretty open about your 'relationship,'" she emphasized the word with perfectly manicured coral-pink nail air quotes, "after I asked him a million questions."

I sighed. Leave it to my sister to pry into all of this. "We're just friends. I don't have to share every detail of my life with you. You can act like this with Grace because she's five, but I'm twenty-two, and you're not Mom."

Nicole rolled her eyes, which just made me angrier. "You know, you always want everyone to stop treating you like a baby, and we would—I would—if you started acting like an adult and talked openly with me about things."

I waved my hand. "I need privacy, Nicole. I'm not a child."

It wasn't that I was opposed to Leo staying at the hotel. It was a pretty wonderful idea now that I thought about it. I'd been enjoying our teasing, flirtation, and conversations. And after earlier today in the ocean...

I didn't want Nicole to know my business, though. That was all. Didn't want to be judged or lectured, didn't want to hear about my past mistakes.

"I'm putting him in the downstairs room," Nicole said. "Since the hotel's pretty much full."

The downstairs room. We never rented it because it was in such close proximity to my apartment. After Mom died, we thought it best that the guests keep some distance from my space. Now, Leo was going to be very, very close.

Nicole continued to chatter. "He insisted on paying double the rate. He also promised he'd supply all of the breakfast pastries for us for the next several months."

I rolled my eyes. Nicole was always thinking of money but unwilling to do things differently, unwilling to consider anything that might make us more of it. I also felt uncomfortable that Nicole was charging Leo to stay. Maybe I could reverse the credit card charges later.

"Oh, and he wanted me to tell you he was going to be late tonight. I thought that was cute, him acting like he needed to let you know his whereabouts. You guys are a thing, apparently. And you didn't even bother to tell me?"