Free It Was You by Anna Cruise

don't you think?”
    A satisfied smile took up residence on my sister's face. “Perhaps.”
    I lifted my shirt over my head. “Whatever. I'm done talking.”
    I unclasped my bra and let it fall to the floor. It wasn't like I had to be self-conscious around my sister. She had the exact same body I did.
    “You were with someone tonight,” she said slowly, her eyes assessing.
    I ignored her statement and pulled on my tank top.
    “Who?” she demanded.
    I shimmied out of my shorts. “Who what?”
    She glared at me. “Who were you with, dammit?”
    There was no way I was telling her about West. “Who said I was with anyone?”
    Annika shook her head and stood. “You think I can't tell?” She smirked. “You have that glow, Abs. That I-wish-he'd-fucked-me kind of glow. Question is—who put it there?”
    I turned away from her and picked my clothes up from the floor. I hated that I was an open book where she was concerned. We might not have the twin connection that others had but there were moments when we knew what the other was thinking, knew what made the other one tick. It made my skin crawl.
    She stepped in front of me. “Not gonna say, huh?”
    “ I don't know what you're talking about. Pretty sure you had the I-wish-he'd-fucked-me look when you were with Kevin the other night.”
    She chuckled. “Hardly. I had the damn-he-was-good look. You should've stuck around to see it.”
    I felt the bile rise up in my throat. She'd slept with him? I hated her even more.
    “ Fine,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet. “Don't tell me. I'll find out eventually. Just you watch.”
    She flounced out of my room and I watched her go, seething. The last thing I wanted was for her to find out about West. I thought back to my conversation with him at the beginning of the night. He'd asked questions and I'd avoided answering them. More than avoided. I'd made the conscious decision to not tell him about my sister. Standing there now, my anger raging out of control, I was glad I hadn't mentioned her.
    And I knew then, after the exchange we'd just had, that I was keeping her a secret. For good.
    My phone buzzed and I fished it out of my purse. It was a text from Tana. I called her.
    “Holy shit.” She laughed after I'd given her a recap of my night. “Guess you didn't wanna wait around, huh?”
    I settled on to my bed. My comforter smelled like my sister's perfume, a noxious floral scent, and I grimaced. I'd strip the whole thing down tomorrow and wash everything.
    “He was kind of persuasive.”
    “ Clearly.” She paused. “So, what now?”
    I leaned back against my pillow. “Mmm. I'm going to go to sleep and dream about him.”
    “No, idiot. I mean, when are you going to see him again?”
    I closed my eyes. “Tomorrow. I think.”
    “Not wasting any time, huh?”
    “ Nope.”
    She chuckled. “So, I guess he's not as big of an asshole as you thought?”
    “Oh, he might still be an asshole.” I smiled at the memory of my evening with West. “But I don't think he is. And I don't know that I care. Because he's mine.”
     

    FOURTEEN
     
     
    I woke to the sound of banging doors. I groaned and pulled my blanket tighter. It was too early for me to get up. It was too early for anyone to be up.
    Annika's shrill voice jarred my senses. “Grab it!”
    “ Settle down.” My dad, his voice controlled, stern.
    There was a large thump and a sharp squeal.
    “I have it,” Dad said.
    I closed my eyes and smiled. It was moving day.
    I snuggled under my covers for a minute, trying to lull myself back to sleep, but it was useless. The adrenaline that had suddenly kicked in, the adrenaline that was now surging through my body, was just enough to ensure I wouldn't be going back to sleep. My sister was moving out that morning.
    And I wasn't.
    I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and thought about what Tana had said. Sure, I was a little bent that my parents had said no to an apartment. But living at home wouldn't be so bad, especially with