Page 94 of Sing For Me

“He brought you home to meet his family,” she says in her bestduhvoice. “He obviously wants to bang you.”

I can’t hold back my smile. “It’s a long way from banging to getting engaged.”

She gasps. “So youhavebanged him?”

“No. Jesus, Kat. Who taught you to talk like that?”

“Um, you?”

We both laugh and I settle down into the pillows. “Seriously,” she says. “How’s it going out there?”

I let out a breath. “Really good. These people are so nice, Kat. And really normal. It’s hard to even believe that they’re these crazy rich famous music icons.”

She sighs. “You’re going to get me Daltrey’s autograph, right?”

I’m not sure Will would love that, but there’s not a lot I wouldn’t do for my sister so I agree.

“You sound a little down,” she says and I shake my head at her ability to read me from hundreds of miles away.

“Just missing you,” I admit, then pause. I don’t like to bring up Mom with her. I should be the person who comforts my little sister, not the other way around. “They, um, they’re a really nice family. And very close.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “You’re wondering what that would be like.”

I let out a breath. “Yeah, I guess.” I think about the tears in Sam’s eyes while she watched her kids embracing. “Will’s mom is really awesome,” I blurt out.

“I miss her, too,” Kat says, her voice soft and sad and I have to clench my eyes tight to keep them from watering.

“Sorry,” I say quickly. “I shouldn’t have—”

“Did you ever think that it helps me to know that you’re sad about it sometimes, Eva?”

That shuts me right up. “What are you…what do you mean?”

She sighs. “I know you think you need to be all strong for me or whatever. But I want you to be able to rely on me, too. It helps me to know that I’m not alone with all the sad stuff.”

My stomach drops. Shit. Have I been unknowingly hurting my sister by keeping a tight lid on my feelings around her? “Kat, you know you can always talk to me about mom, right? I would never want you to think that it’s not something you should bring up.”

“Just because you think it’s somethingyoushouldn’t bring up?” she shoots back and I close my eyes again.

“I’m sorry if I—”

My little sister cuts me off. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’ve always told me that there’s nothing wrong with being sad and I should feel free to tell you about my feelings. I just want you to know that you can do the same with me.”

“Well, I’m calling you, aren’t I?” I ask, hoping to lighten things up, and her soft chuckle on the other end of the line eases the knot in my stomach. “I wish you were here.”

“I was thinking maybe I could come out to LA soon?” she asks. “ You have a birthday coming up. And I’d like to meet the guy who has my sister so worked up.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not worked up.”

“Marissa told me you keep zoning out in conversations. She says you get this faraway look in your eye and you start grinning to yourself so she knows you’re thinking about Will.Andshe says he calls you honey and you blush every time.”

Honey. That part is true. There’s just something about the way he says that word. But I’m certainly not going to admit it to her. “I’m so glad you’re gossiping with my staff about me.”

She snorts. “Marissa is your boss, not your staff.”

“And that somehow makes itmoreappropriate for her to be telling you this?”

“Well, Geoff said your face gets redder than your hair anytime his name comes up.”