Okay, her head was way too wrecked for human interaction, but her usual perfect brother抯 faulty speech definitely deserved a few minutes of time. 揥hat do you mean??She pressed two fingers to her forehead, rubbing in a circle. 揝houldn抰 you be recovering from dental surgery??
His answer was offhand. 揑 slept for an hour.?
揚robably snored the whole time.?
He tore his narrow-eyed gaze off the closed garage. 揈xcuse me??
揧ou didn抰 snore, as a kid, I don抰 think. But you do now.?She yanked the rubber band off her wrist, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. 揘o one抯 ever told you??
Maybe she should have taken a moment to watch Aaron closely before now. She抎 always thought of him as a cold machine, but thoughts rippled and popped and smoothed under his surface, like a submarine traveling under still water. It was fascinating up close. Normally, looking directly at anyone梕specially Aaron梩his long would make her skin feel too thin, but she抎 gone way past that point this afternoon, and her usual awkwardness receptors were in the shop, alongside the Suburban. 揘o, I抳e never been told,?her brother said, finally. 揥omen don抰 usually stick around to spend the night, thank God.?
揧eah.?Wow. None of them were normal. 揧eah, thank God. I guess.?
Aaron paced away and came back. 揂ll right, what抯 with the wounded-puppy act you抳e got going on??He adjusted the ice pack. 揑t抯 sadder than usual.?
揙h yeah??She kicked a rock at his shoe, a little surprised by her display of athleticism. 揥ell厃ou抮e being more of a punk-ass than usual.?
Her brother surprised her by cracking a small smile, but a wince followed right on its heels. 揝omething to do with Jasper, isn抰 it??His attention shifted to the garage. 揓esus. I don抰 even want to know.?
Of course, that anti-permission梐nd the ingrained sisterly instinct to annoy her brother at all costs梥ent the whole damn story tumbling from Rita抯 mouth. 揥ell I抦 going to tell you, anyway,?she heaved out. 揌e抯 fucking厀onderful. And I ruined it by having sex with him.?
揧ou must be doing it wrong,?Aaron droned, not bothering to look at her.
揑抦 doing everything wrong,?she shouted. 揈verything.?
When Aaron removed the ice pack from his jaw and threw it up against the building, Rita gaped. 揥hat did you expect to happen, Rita? Maybe you抎 settle down in this population-twenty dust bowl and have little flannel-wearing babies??His laughter was low. 揑f that抯 what you want, I feel sorry for you.?
揇on抰，？she croaked.
It was a visible thing, Aaron shifting his cool veneer back into position. He picked up the ice pack, wiped it on his sleeve, and shoved it back up against his jaw. 揊igure out what you want and find a way to achieve it. No one can do it for you. Crying doesn抰 help, and it抯 making that black shit on your eyes run.?
Oh, man. She hated Aaron in that moment for telling her the truth, being so unnecessarily harsh, even if it was exactly what she wanted梟eeded梐fter the scene she抎 just fled. 揑 want a new start.?
Aaron nodded, a hint of understanding dawning in his expression, before he reared back, kicking the garage door, rattling it on its hinges. 揥elcome to the club.?
*
Rita lay on her side, facing the wall of her motel room. Behind her, Sage and Peggy were sprawled out with vending-machine snacks, watching the episode of The Golden Girls where Rose loses her memory. The scratchy comforter was saturated beneath her wet cheek, but she couldn抰 move to go get a towel, or even adjust herself a few inches to get away from the damp spot.
揑 am worse than pond scum,?Rita said out loud, startling herself. Behind her The Golden Girls cut off, but she could still see shadows flashing on the wall, telling her the sound had been muted.
揥hat was that??Peggy called. 揑 couldn抰 hear you over the sound of this show still being relevant.?
There was the unmistakable sound of Peggy and Sage exchanging a high five. Fresh tears welled in Rita抯 eyes, so she rolled over and stared at the ceiling, willing them to abate. Why couldn抰 she have chosen a confidante like Sage instead of Aaron? Their angst-fest outside the garage had only plagued her with more questions. She抎 told him a fresh start was what she wanted. Meant it, too. Only when she抎 attempted to picture herself attending classes in New York, the clear picture she抎 left San Diego with had turned murky and undefined. Like a smeared Polaroid. 揧ou抮e going to run out of Golden Girls seasons before we get halfway across the country.?
In Rita抯 periphery, Sage adjusted her glasses. 揥e抳e discussed that. And we抮e planning on moving straight into The Facts of Life without breaking.?
Peggy scooted to the end of her bed. 揜ita, are you crying??
揘o.?Just having her condition addressed out loud was unbearable. It made the situation real. She was crying over losing a man. 揗aybe.?The rings around Peggy抯 neck clanked against one another, but it took her a moment to speak, as if she were figuring out a way to address Rita without having her head bitten off. Lord, she抎 been a crappy sister on top of everything else, hadn抰 she?
Finally Peggy spoke up. 揑 can give you advice as one of the Golden Girls. Your pick. Do you want Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, or Sophia??
揥hy can抰 you talk to me as yourself??
揇o you want me to??
Rita covered her face with both hands. 揑抣l go with Blanche.?
Peggy cleared her throat, laughing when Sage started filming with her phone. 揜ita Clarkson, there will be time to weep卋ut not when there抯 still time to take it deep.?Her nod was very wise and an almost perfect impression of Blanche. 揋et over to that bar and give him a lasting memory. And make sure to set up the camera on your good side.?
揑抳e already given him a lasting memory梚t was just a shitty one,?Rita said at the ceiling. 揘ice Blanche, by the way.?
揟hanks.?
A knock on the door had all three women sitting up on the beds. When no one moved to answer, Sage rose and glided across the room, checking through the peephole. 揑t抯 Aaron.?She pulled open the door to reveal Rita抯 younger brother, half of his mouth still swollen but minus the ice pack.
揃efore you ask, it feels like shit,?he grumbled, stomping into the room and dropping unceremoniously onto the dresser. He and Rita exchanged an assessing look, as if to determine where they stood after their earlier conversation, but they broke eye contact without delay. 揓ust stopped by the garage. They抮e working on the Suburban now, so we抣l be out of here in the morning.?
Rita抯 stomach filled with jagged ice. 揙h. That抯単reat news.?
Aaron gave her a dry look, putting them back on familiar ground. 揧eah, well. Don抰 go jumping for joy.?
Normally, Rita would ask Aaron if he wanted another tooth knocked out, but the reality of leaving Hurley in a matter of hours froze the threat somewhere in her rib cage. Not only leaving; leaving while Jasper probably hated her. Maybe even hating himself for giving in to her that afternoon.
Rita experienced a sudden burst of restlessness. If she remained in a prone position until they left town, she would just replay the morning over and over again until梬hat? The outcome changed? That was the actual definition of insanity. She shot up and began to pace. 揑 need to get out of here. Is there somewhere we can go? Like a movie theater??
揙r a museum??Sage interjected. A suggestion that was greeted by an extended silence from the Clarkson siblings. The wedding planner promptly went back to cleaning her glasses with the hem of her dress.
揊or once, I抦 with Rita.?Aaron said, testing his swollen cheek with careful fingers. 揟his motel is starting to feel like a padded cell.?