Whispering With You

8. If two people are saying something, then maybe you should listen.

Sutton

"UGH, GIVE ME THOSE," I GROAN, stealing the sunglasses from my stepsister's face and plopping them on mine.

Vivi gives me the side-eye as we walk down the sidewalk on Main Street Monday morning before work. "Why are you extra cranky this morning anyway? It's like you're hungover or something and I know for a fact you weren't drinking yesterday. You went to bed like a senior citizen last night."

She is not wrong. Just as predicted, I did indeed dissect every little thing from my trip to Maybury with Kelly, tossing and turning in bed, willing my thoughts to shut up. Apparently, you can give yourself a headache that resembles a hangover just by obsessively spiraling.

"Whatever. Just shhhhhh until I get some coffee and greasy breakfast in me, ok?"

I yank open the door to the Cozy Corner Café, one of the only two restaurants in Lake Hope, and groan as the cheery bells on the door tinkles, announcing our arrival because of course the door has bells. The café has the classic small-town vibes and aesthetic with a counter and spinning stools lining the far wall that separates the dining room and the kitchen, deep booths along the perimeter with tables in the center running lengthwise through the room.

Although the restaurant gets busy on the weekends with patrons spilling out of booths, crowding into the tables, and every stool taken at the counter, Mondays are apparently quieter. The place has a spattering of customers this morning, but there are plenty of open spots available for us to choose from.

As I scan the dining room for a prime spot, I see two familiar heads, one red and the other light brown. Raising the sunglasses on top of my head, I stroll over to the booth. "Well, look who it is," I say before I scoot onto the bench seat, budging Rylie's body over to make room for me. I motion with my hand across the table where Teddy sits for Vivi to join her.

"Look who decided to join us, Teddy Bear," Rylie says to her best friend with a grin. "The baby version of us."

I smirk at Rylie, removing the sunglasses from my head and tossing them onto the table. "Don't you mean the upgrade?"

Rylie pats my head condescendingly. "Shhhh," she shushes. "No talking. Babies are to be seen, not heard. Or, better, not seen. Shoo off. We were about to discuss the Paperback Riders. And since you're not cool enough to be invited, scram. Let the grownups talk."

I sit up taller, accessing them, because now my attention is piqued. The Paperback Riders is an exclusive and supposedly secret book club. The kind of book club where they read smutty books and have club meetings with book themes. Last month's book was so racy, if rumors are to be believed, that old Rita Sanderson swears her hot flashes had hot flashes.

Teddy and Rylie were the most recent recruits, and I make them retell their initiation story often. I sigh. How I wouldn't mind being blindfolded, kidnapped, and then set loose in a porn shop with a mission to accomplish. Lucky bitches.

"You two," Teddy says, waving her fork dripping with syrup at us. "Shut it. You're both children. Big grown dummy children."

Vivi scoots away from Teddy and her dripping fork. "You realize your best friend and one-day sister-in-law are like the same person, right?"

Rylie and I glance at each other and turn to grin at Teddy. "Lucky bitch," Rylie says with a laugh. "Two of me."

"Well, one Rylie," I correct. "And one new and improved and fully equipped Sutton."

Rylie studies me. "What are you fully equipped with? Delusion and denial?"

"Style and sexiness."

Vivi groans. "You guys are the worst. Turn it off, Teddy. Turn it off."

"I can't," Teddy says between bites of her pancakes. "Believe me, I've tried. Just enjoy the show."

"How many seasons is it?" Vivi questions. "It's not another Grey's, is it? I don't think I could last a batrillion seasons of them."

Teddy shrugs, and she looks across the booth at us. We've wound our arms around each other and are wearing matching grins. We glance at each other and throw our heads back in laughter.

"They'd be so bored without us," Rylie declares, and I'd have to agree with her.