Space (Laws of Physics #2)(36)

I lifted an eyebrow at the exchange, but Connie Will asked Mona before I could, “What’s the problem with your sled?”

Mona gave the woman a friendly—but very small—smile, opening her mouth as though to explain, but Leo spoke over her before she could, “Mona built the sled herself, when we were kids, and I broke it. I finally just got it fixed up for her and I don’t want it to break again.”

The trio said, “Oh . . .” in a chorus.

“It’s fine,” Mona protested, her eyes darting to me, and then away. “It’s really fine. I don’t mind. It’s just a sled.”

“You’re telling me you want Charlie to use your sled?” Leo challenged, as though they were talking about something other than just a sled, as though he were referring to Mona herself. “You don’t even know Charlie and you want him touching your sled.”

Her eyes on the floor, her cheeks turning pink, she whispered, “Can we not make it a big deal?”

Leo gave her an incredulous look, and opened his mouth as though to argue again. Clearly, he saw his sister was uncomfortable. Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about it. Clearly, he didn’t care.

“What are the pulleys for?” I interrupted, successfully keeping my annoyance with Leo out of my voice.

Again, her eyes flickered to me, and then away, making my next breath painful.

“They’re for something Mona set up when we were kids, so we can get the sleds up the hill easier. I’ll show you if you want, it’s pretty cool.” Leo shot a proud grin at his sister, she gave him a quick, closed mouth smile in return.

I stepped forward, lifting my chin toward the stairs ahead of us and addressing Allyn, Mona, and the trio from Fin. “You ladies go ahead, I’ll help Leo carry these.” And then to Leo, I added, “Wait here a second. I need to let Kaitlyn and Ruthie know we’re done for now.”

He nodded, rolling his other shoulder. “Go, go. I’ll wait here.”

I waited another beat before stepping away to tell Kaitlyn and Ruthie the news, wanting to put plenty of space between the group of women and us so Leo and I wouldn’t be overheard as we walked.

Ruthie and Kaitlyn seemed fine with the change of plans, and so I quickly returned to help Leo carry his burden.

“You want to get your jacket and stuff first?” Leo picked up the other pulley, sniffing.

“Are you sick?”

Leo shook his head. “No. Just allergies. I’ll wait here if you want to get your coat.”

I wasn’t convinced, Leo looked sick. His face was flushed, he kept sniffing, and his voice sounded raw.

Continuing to inspect my friend, I said, “Nah. My stuff is in the mudroom closet. I’ve been helping Melvin with the snow.”

“Oh. Good. We’re headed to the mudroom,” he said, using both hands to carry the substantial pulley, laughing as he added, “I think these things are made of lead. Where did she get these?”

“Who?”

“Mona. These are hers.”

I nodded, somehow not surprised Mona owned and used seventy-pound pulleys. “What’s the big deal with the sled?”

He frowned, pressing his lips together and making a sound of irritation. “I told you, I broke it and—”

“No, no. I mean, what’s really going on? What’s the deal there? Is it Charlie?”

Leo sighed loudly, tilting his head back and forth, his eyes on his sister’s back. “No. Well, yes and no. Charlie has been asking about Mona—a lot—since I told you guys she’d be here.”

“Oh.” I swallowed this knowledge and the renewed desire to break Charlie’s face, and then asked, “So?” hoping I sounded convincingly disinterested.

“He’s not Mona’s type.”

“What’s wrong with Charlie?”

“Nothing.” He frowned at me, looking confused. “You know I like Charlie.”

“Then what’s Mona’s type?”

Stop asking about her.

Leo’s frown intensified. “Her type is no type. She’s not . . .” He glanced at me, giving me a face that reminded me of myself when I was worried about my sister. “You know.”

“No. What?”

“She’s not—she’s, you know, asexual.”

I almost dropped the pulley, and I turned my face away from Leo so he couldn’t see the look on my face. I’d never thought of Leo as dumb, but his sister was as likely to be asexual as Karley Sciortino.

“Your sister told you that?”

Leo huffed again, giving me an irritated side-eye. “Listen, man. I don’t want to talk about my sister’s sex life, okay? Let’s just say, years ago, she told me she didn’t believe two people were necessary for getting off during sex, encouraged me to focus on self-reliance or some shit like that, and that the modern idea of romantic relationships would soon be considered outdated and irrelevant. She was trying to help me get over a breakup, I think. Anyway, add to that she doesn’t like it when people touch her—not even her family—and, yeah, I feel pretty confident in assuming she’s asexual.”

I nodded thoughtfully, stopping myself from asking You don’t think it might be something else? Like maybe someone hurt her? And how long ago was this conversation? And when did she come downstairs? Is she okay? even though the urge to question him was overwhelming.