Speaking of Love (Perfect Kisses) by Ophelia London Read Free Book Online Page A

Mac could make out were his jeans and work boots. He had better not be tracking dirt from his latest construction job around her house.
    “Hey,” Mac said, dropping her bag and laptop on the kitchen table. “What are you guys doing here? If you’re after a meal, what’s wrong with the food at your own apartments? Or Mom’s house?”
    “I thought you would need us after Rick dumped you,” Justine explained. Her long hair was in two French braids, making her look a little like the girl on the Swiss Miss boxes. Juss had the same issue as Mac: if they didn’t watch it, they looked like jail bait.
    Justine stepped toward her sister with her arms outstretched. “There, there.” She gave Mac a very awkward hug.
    The Simms family was never really big on physical displays of affection, but at least Justine tried. She seemed to be the only one who wasn’t emotionally stunted. Maybe it was her years studying to be a family therapist that made the difference.
    Mac also suddenly realized it was probably a mistake to have talked to her sister about what happened with Rick the other night. It was meant as strictly venting, and not about a breakup. There had been no breakup.
    “I’m fine, Juss,” Mac said. “It’s no big deal. Really.”
    “Shh-shh.” Justine squeezed her tighter. “You don’t have to be brave with me.”
    Justine was a romantic, taking after Mac’s best friend Tess more than herself. Mac often wondered if their parents’ divorce affected Juss harder than her two siblings.
    “Don’t you have any meat in this house?” Greg asked, pulling out a brick of yellow cheese.
    “I haven’t been to the store in a week,” Mac said, still enclosed in Justine’s arms. When she peeled away from her sister, she handed her brother a small cutting board. “And I repeat, why didn’t you eat at Mom’s? You know I don’t keep junk food in my house.” Then she remembered the half-eaten bag of Cheetos from the other night. Where had she put that?
    “Do you need some ice cream?” Justine asked. She turned to Greg and swatted his arm. “She needs ice cream. I told you we should have brought ice cream.”
    “Is that something you read in one of your psychology books?” Mac asked. “Don’t you dare start psychoanalyzing me. You haven’t graduated yet.”
    Greg took a bite of cheese. “Do you need me to beat him up? Make him a nice pair of cement moccasins?”
    Mac rolled her eyes. Sounded like her baby brother had been hanging around the thugs at his job sites a little too much lately. Cement moccasins?
    “I’ll do it,” Greg went on. “Rick, right? That rich guy?” He set down the cheese knife. “Where does he live?”
    Mac couldn’t help laughing. “Seriously, I’m not sad about anything. Rick and I were not together.”
    Justine rubbed Mac’s arm. “It’s okay,” she soothed. “You can cry to me when Greg leaves. Greg—leave. She needs to cry. Can’t you see how angsty her face looks?”
    “Hey,” Mac said, doing her best not to scowl. “I always look like this.”
    Justine smashed her lips together in an overly dramatic sympathetic frown. “Cry.”
    “Juss.” Mac took her sister by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. They were both about the same height. Their whole family was a bunch of shrimpos. Luckily, they were also very loud, otherwise they would probably disappear in any room.
    “There was never anything going on between Rick and me.” Mac felt like she was repeating herself. “You know that. I told you a million times. It was basically a business arrangement.”
    “Right,” Justine slowly said, looking unconvinced. “You said that, but I thought… I assumed you were just saying that because of the money and everything.”
    “Yeah, well.” Mac kicked off her heels.
    “What’s this?” Greg asked, pointing the cheese knife at a stack of forms sitting on the counter next to the phone.
    “Adoption papers,” Mac said.
    “What?” Justine shrieked and Mac