Sydney chuckles. “All of us video chatted a few days ago. She’s pretty great. I’m so happy for Dad. They’re going to make a trip to California after they get married. We should plan a surprise party or reception type thing for them when they come to visit.”

I glance around for the nearest tree to lean against so I don’t fall down, even if everything else in my world is crumbling. “My life is shit,” I say with a shaky voice as tears sting my eyes.

“Is it that Jake guy? Deedy told us he’s incredibly kind and trustworthy. She and Dad feel confident that you couldn’t be in better hands.”

“He’s a terrible person. I don’t know what Deedy sees in him. Unless …” I cover my mouth, swallowing a bit of bile.

“Unless what?”

“Oh … my … god …”

“Jeez what? I’d like to get back to sleep, Ave.”

“What if Deedy and Jake were …” I retch again. “Intimate.”

“You think Deedy was involved with the guy she suggested drive you back here?”

This horrible vision fills my head, replaying like a nightmare on a loop—Deedy naked with her head thrown back in ecstasy with Jake’s head between her spread legs doing to her what he did to me, then in the next frame it’s … my dad!

I gag some more, spitting excess salvia onto the ground while coughing.

“Avery, what the heck is going on?” Sydney asks in a whisper-yell. She must still be in bed.

Jake tasted the Deedy, and my dad probably has too. It’s like there’s this unimaginable two degrees of separation between my dad’s mouth and my … Here they come, up my throat … my Pasta O’s from last night.

Dammit! I don’t have calories to waste with so little money left in my wallet.

“Avery, answer me. You’re scaring me.”

“If it’s true … oh god … if it’s true …” I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

“So what? I’m not trying to be insensitive, but you have very little room to talk about anyone else’s number of sex partners.”

“It’s not the number! It’s that he was with her and with me and dad’s been with her and now—”

“Wait … please tell me you didn’t sleep with Jake.”

“Of course I didn’t sleep with Jake.” I amaze myself with my quick response.

“Thank goodness.”

“I let him go down on me, just once, and it will never happen again. He’s the bane of my existence.”