Sure. This relationship is founded on a lie. I’m not really Colt’s girlfriend. I’ve played nice as well as I could. But as Mrs Bradley and I sit side by side and just talk about how much we miss Colt Bradley, the real Colt Bradley, I don’t need to tell any lies.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Savannah

Colt

‘Hold still, dingus.’

I could snap at my sister, but I choose peace, considering her hands are a little too close to my neck to chance pissing her off. She works deftly at the new tie, and flattens it at the very end so the designs show.

‘Don’t get it dirty. You eat those Chester Corn Dogs like you’re not gonna live to see tomorrow.’

‘Says you. Remember when Ma had to threaten to leave you at Chester before you ate your fifth one of the game?’

Savannah scoffs. Taking after our dad, she’s got what I like to call judgemental eyebrows and piercing green eyes that’ll tell you exactly what she’s feeling even if you don’t ask. And if you do ask, she, like Pop, won’t hesitate to be plain about it. ‘Yeah, right. That’s Ma. You’d better be nice to me. I won’t be making you any more matching-your-girlfriend ties otherwise.’

I peer at the tie in the mirror. It’s a perfect complement to the photo May sent of her pantsuit. The tie is simple and effective: the exact same shade of red as May’s flowers to complement my black button-up. Sav’s ever-so-subtly incorporated the lightest of white embroidery, threading vines to match May’s. I turn to my sister. She plants her hands on her hips, prepared for a sassy remark.

‘Thanks, Sav.’

She raises an eyebrow. ‘You feeling okay?’

‘I’m just fine. Although I was scared,’ I add, ‘to ask you for this tie.’

‘Serves you right!’ Sav elbows me with a huff. ‘And?’

‘And then I realized I’m probably scared because I didn’t treat you as well as I should have. All these years.’

Sav’s jaw goes slack. She fully whips her clear, pink-framed glasses off her face so she can squint at me. ‘Oh, my god. You’re figuring it out.’

‘Shut up.’ I swat at her glasses, which she tugs away before I can snatch them.

My sister smiles wryly. ‘It’s your girlfriend, isn’t it?’

I feel my ears getting all dumb and warm before she gets the chance to call me out on it. ‘Well …’

‘It is.’ Sav just chuckles in awe. ‘Man. I always knew May had a good head on her shoulders, but I didn’t know it was possible for rational thought to rub off on you.’

‘Hey!’ I whine.