Something in the Way (Something in the Way #1)(36)

I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to fight to hold onto Tiffany.

But I did know, that was the only way to remain a part of Lake’s life.





11





Lake





I didn’t move away from the window until the front door slammed and Tiffany pounded up the staircase.

I couldn’t be sure what I’d seen. If Manning had kissed her just now on the front lawn, it’d looked innocent enough, a peck on the lips. What did that mean? There was no connection between them. I knew that, but did Tiffany?

I went into our adjoining bathroom and made some noise, hoping Tiffany would invite me into her room. When she didn’t, I knocked.

“What?” Tiffany asked.

“Can I come in?”

“What do you want?”

I opened the door. Tiffany sat on her bed with her address book open and the receiver of her see-through, touchtone phone in her hand. “I’m trying to find something to do tonight.”

“I thought you were going out with Manning?”

“Does it look like I am?”

“What happened?”

At this point, the conversation could go two ways. Either she’d kick me out and accuse me of being nosy, or she’d spill her guts. I was hoping for the guts. Did Manning ask her the kinds of questions he asked me? About music, books, fancy dishware? I couldn’t picture them talking about those things. When I had Manning’s attention, there was no room for anyone else.

The dial tone began to beep. With a sigh, Tiffany hung up the phone and flopped backward onto the bed. “He wanted to hang out. We almost went back to his place, but he has to work early.”

My face warmed. What I wouldn’t give to see where he lived, what kinds of things he thought important enough to put on his shelves. What color were his sheets? What other books were on his shelves? Did he put photos on his nightstand? If Tiffany went there, she’d get to see all that before me. I walked a little more into the room. “Are you going to see him again?”

She reached up and flicked the corner of her Nirvana poster. “I don’t know.”

I stood taller. I wasn’t surprised. I knew it was coming. I’d always assumed the two other guys Tiffany had brought home to dinner had broken up with her right after, but maybe it was the other way around. “Really?” I asked.

“Don’t get me wrong. Manning’s super-hot, and he’s nice to me. But he’s like an old man. He works and has classes and goes to bed early and takes things slow.” She yawned, turning her head to me. “I thought college guys would be different, you know? Fun and cool.”

I nodded as if I understood. In reality, Manning was the coolest person I knew because he didn’t care one bit about being cool. “So you’re going to dump him?” I asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

“No. If I don’t want to see him anymore, I just won’t pick up his calls.” She sat up and fixed her hair in the reflection of her mirrored closet. “You saw Corbin today?”

I was still wondering what it’d be like to have Manning call me in the first place. “Who?”

“Corbin. Hello? Hottest guy in your school? You saw him at the beach?”

I blinked a few times. Had that only been this morning? “Um. Yeah. How’d you know?”

“I talked to him.”

“When?”

“On the phone.”

“He called?” I asked.

“Yep. While I was changing. I told him to call back because we were about to have dinner.”

“Did he ask for me?”

“Why?” she asked. “Do you like him?”

“No.” It came out defensively, a reflex more than an answer. I’d spent the last couple years wanting nothing to do with the boys at my school. Now that I knew Manning, who wasn’t anything like them, I was even less interested. But Corbin seemed different, too, like he was listening when I spoke instead of trying to see down my top. “I mean, I do like him,” I said. “But just as a friend. You?”

“Do I like Corbin? He’s only seventeen. Way too young for me.” She flipped through her address book. “And it’s not really sexy when a guy likes you too much. That’s basically why I could never date someone like Corbin.”

“I thought you said he had a small crush on you a while back.”

“He did, but who knows if it was more? I just think it’s weird that he’s suddenly interested in you.”

I had no idea what to say to that. Corbin hadn’t brought up Tiffany at the beach, but maybe he did still have a thing for her. I didn’t care either way. “I’ve never liked a guy who liked me back.”

Her expression softened. “Don’t worry, it’ll happen. Especially when you get tits.” She giggled. “Sorry. Don’t use that word. It’s gross. My friends always say it, but that doesn’t mean you should.”

Tiffany didn’t get motherly often, but when she did, it was nice. Like she was looking out for me. “Okay. I won’t. And thanks for saying the pie wasn’t soggy earlier.”

“It wasn’t. I ate the whole piece and you know how I am about calories.”

I smiled. Giving me her calories was a compliment. I had the sudden urge to hug my sister. It’d been a weird night. Some bad things had happened, like the fighting and the possible kiss, but it could never truly be bad because time spent with Manning was time getting to know him. It was true even when we didn’t speak.