“Hells yeah he does,” Lolly said, already slipping into the high thread count Frette Lux sheets on Anna’s parents’ California king.

Anna stayed with Lolly until she fell asleep. She didn’t have to wait long.

XIII

Leaving Lolly asleep in her parents’ bedroom, Anna walked barefoot down the dark hallway to the kitchen where she put the rest of the pie in the fridge. She heard voices coming from the living room, which she assumed was the TV, but then after listening more closely she realized Steven was talking to some guy. Anna rolled her eyes, annoyed that while she had spent the last several hours mopping up her brother’s mess, he had been hanging out and probably having a grand old time as usual.

Her phone vibrated and she looked down to see yet another text from Alexander, who had been trying to reach her for hours. If it’s not one boy, it’s another. She grimaced to herself. She walked back to her bedroom knowing she needed to call her boyfriend back before she was embroiled in her own boy trouble.

Alexander answered on the first ring, and it was obvious from his tone he was upset that it had taken so long for her to get back to him. Alexander didn’t get the nickname the Greenwich OG by being the most patient person. But he quickly softened when she recounted her evening to him, murmuring how she was too good to her feckless and reckless older brother.

“He doesn’t deserve a sister like you,” he said, and it wasn’t the first time he had spoken out against her brother. Alexander was not a fan of Steven’s, but he knew better than to bash him too harshly, as Anna was quick to defend her brother despite his many shortcomings.

“You’re missing the point entirely, Alexander. It’s not me Steven doesn’t deserve. It’s Lolly. Can you believe they haven’t even had sex yet? I thought for sure they had, but now that I know they haven’t I feel that Steven’s actions were not excusable exactly, but a little more understandable? God, I hate myself for saying that out loud, but maybe it’s true? Didn’t you once tell me that if men don’t, you know … on a regular basis then…”

“Yes, but it doesn’t give them permission to cheat. They made a commitment to each other and part of that agreement is to be only with each other. Steven could have jacked off in the shower like every other guy I know.”

It was rare that Alexander ever talked about sex with her so candidly, and Anna couldn’t help but be a little intrigued. “Is that what you do? You know, when I’m not around?”