Page 15 of Five

“Look,” Kate says. “You are just as much to blame for any of this as he is.”

“No,” I say, putting up my hand, my phone screen facing her. “He’s the one who made me the app. He’s the one who pre-populated it with Love Notes. He’s the one who never sent a single message after we…”

I stop because I almost told her what we did the last time he was home.

“After you guys… did what?”

“We… ah… you know.” I shrug. “Did it.”

“It?” she says, coy smile spreading up her face. “As in… it?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“What?” She laughs, incredulous. “No one cares if you want to talk about it, Rory! You lost your V-card to my brother and never told me!” She stops then, her face crinkling up a little. “And by the way, what is it with you dating your best friends’ brothers?”

“Stop it,” I say. “It’s just a weird coincidence. And I really don’t want to talk about it because it wasn’t that good.”

Kate guffaws so loud, the family cat scurries under the coffee table, startled.

“I mean… see? This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“He sucked?”

“Not exactly.”

“You sucked?” she asks, still laughing.

My whole face heats up as I turn beet red.

“Oh, sister. You should’ve come to me! I could’ve seriously helped you out in that department.”

“No, thank you,” I say. “I’m so not taking sex advice from the girl who lets men stick it in her butt.”

Kate glances around, suddenly serious. “Shhh, for fuck’s sake. You of all people should know better than to blab at home. Our parents are paranoid freaks. What if my dad has a camera in here?”

Now it’s my turn to laugh. “My dad would kill Five if he knew he took my virginity. And I don’t even care if your dad hears this. There’s no way Ford Aston would have that conversation with my father.”

“Hmmm,” Kate says. “So what you two really need is a do-over, right?”

I just chew on my fingernail as I think about our first time. He was sixteen, I was fifteen, and that was the last time I ever saw Five Aston before an hour ago.

“I can help you,” she says. “But I’m gonna need all the details of the first time in order to do that.”

“Fuck you.” I laugh.

“Not the sordid ones. Ick. He’s my little brother. The romancey ones.” She stops to think about this for a moment. “He did romance you, right? I mean, I don’t want to picture too much or anything, but I know my brother. He did anything and everything to make you happy all growing up. He’s the dumbest, sappiest dude with you. And only you,” she adds, hammering that home.

Which I appreciate. Because let’s be honest, Rory. You’re insecure right now and you need all her BFF big-sisterly advice you can get.

“So tell me,” Kate says. “How did that night start?”

SIX YEARS AGO

After months of planning and waiting, Five is coming home today.

I have imagined his homecoming every way possible. How we will rush into each other’s arms. His eyes will find mine—staring deeply into them, like he can see right into my soul—and then we’ll kiss. It will be the most perfect, passionate kiss ever. Better than anything I’ve ever seen in a movie or read in a book. It might even be filled with longing and lust.

I kick my covers off and swing my legs out of bed. It’s already almost eight and Five’s plane gets in at noon, so including drive time from the airport, I only have five good hours to get ready.