The Better Brother

d no,” I said. “And I don’t plan on it.”

“How do you feel about everything?” Bethany asked. “I mean, now that you’ve met someone new? Do you miss Joshua at all?”

I paused to think. My immediate answer would have been no, but this was my sister I was talking to. I wanted to tell her the truth, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself.

“Sometimes,” I said softly. “But it’s not really him that I miss. Just the routine we used to have. Honestly, I barely think about him anymore.”

“Really?” Bethany asked. “So, then… Michael?”

“I don’t know how serious we are,” I said. “But I like him a lot.”

“Are you sleeping with him?” she asked.

“Personal much?” I laughed.

“I used to change your diapers,” she said with a scowl. “Just tell me.”

“Yes,” I said. “We’re sleeping together.”

“So, things are pretty serious then?” she asked again.

“They’re moving in that direction,” I said.

Bethany beamed and returned her attention to the task at hand. She quickly found me four dresses to try on, three of which were the perfect shade of blue to match my eyes. I grabbed a black dress that I thought would look great on me and hurried into the dressing room.

After trying on all the dresses, I still hadn’t found the right one. Bethany pushed for one of the blue ones, but it didn’t feel right. I wanted something perfect, something striking but elegant.

“You’re being too picky,” Bethany said.

“I just want to look nice,” I said defensively.

“And you will,” Bethany said. “But you just have to pick one. You look amazing in all of them.”

“You’re my sister,” I said. “You have to say that.”

She shook her head. “False. I would tell you if you looked like a bag of crap.”

I laughed and dragged her out of the store. There were a couple more shops down the street that I wanted to try.

“Do you think he’s still around?” Bethany asked, lowering her voice as we stepped onto the street.

“Who?” I asked.

“Joshua,” Bethany said.

“Oh.” I blinked. Joshua had been completely driven from my mind. Bethany questioned me about Michael so much that I barely had time to think about anything else.

“I know you don’t want to run into him,” Bethany said.

“Who cares?” I said, waving my hand casually.

“Really?” Bethany raised her eyebrows.

“Joshua who?”

I pranced off down the sidewalk with Bethany laughing beside me.

CHAPTER 14