“That makes two of us,” she muttered. “Well, like I said, I’d rather it just be out there. So say it any way you can, and we’ll figure out a way for it to sound better than however it comes out.”
My mouth curved up in a smile. “I’ve known you were here since Friday, but I knew you were here a few days before. I mean, I didn’t know it was you, but I . . . knew.”
“You’re right. This is sounding bad.”
I rolled my eyes at her teasing tone, and decided to just say it rather than slowly building up to it. “I work for your uncle Eli.”
“No shit,” she breathed in disbelief, her wide eyes growing even larger.
“He’s been like a mentor to me for years, and I’ve worked for him since before I even graduated college. He called me into his office last week to tell me about you and Kira. There was another guy there, Mason—”
“Wait!” Kennedy sat up in the booth and leaned over the table. “Mason was there? My uncle Mason?”
“If it’s the guy who looks like he takes steroids, then yes.”
She stared at me for a few seconds before relaxing, but her confused expression deepened. “I’m sorry, I can sort of understand you working for Uncle Eli. I mean, it’s weird; don’t get me wrong. Way too coincidental given our past, but things like that happen, I guess. My uncles hate each other, though, I can’t imagine them in the same room to talk to you . . . especially about Kira and me.”
I laughed softly. “Yeah, the hatred was clear in the office. And trust me, you aren’t the only one who finds this weird. Eli was telling me about the two of you and how you weren’t happy you were here. They wanted someone to introduce you to people, they were hoping you’d make friends and enjoy California a little more.” Kennedy scoffed and I sent her a look showing my agreement. “I said no at first. But Eli’s never asked for anything from me, and he’s helped me through a lot. I told them my dad was looking to fill a few spots at the gym, and I would try to get you two an interview, but I still wasn’t happy about any of it.”
“I don’t blame you. We’re kind of hard to handle individually. Both at the same time? I almost feel bad for you.”
My lips spread into an amused grin, but I stopped myself from commenting on the fact that I’d handled her easily enough a year ago. “It wasn’t that. It was the way they were talking about you two. They made you seem . . . like you didn’t know how to socialize. I kept looking at it like they wanted me to babysit you.”
“Hmm. How sweet of them,” she said sarcastically.
“I was at the gym when you came in for the interview, but I’d been in my dad’s office and left when you were still interviewing. But then you came in to work, and I walked out of my office when you were both standing there with Eli in the hall. I thought I was losing my mind when I saw you. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that you were the niece that I was supposed to help meet people.”
Kennedy let my words hang in the air for a few moments, then nodded once and cleared her throat. “Okay. This is still weird—too weird. But what I want to know is, if you’ve known I was here since Friday, why are you just now approaching me?”
A short, hesitant laugh left me, and I took my time figuring out my answer. “Because I didn’t know what to do about you being here. I denied it at first, and then was in shock that after a year you were close enough to touch again. I kept wondering if you would remember me . . . that led to me again wanting to know why you left, and then I just got mad. I was mad you left, I was mad that I was being put in a position to be near you when there was a possibility you wouldn’t remember me or want to be near me, or you would be the sister who had a boyfriend. I went back and forth between telling Eli that I knew you and that I was the wrong person to help you, but eventually I decided that I couldn’t have you this close and not try to talk to you again. After that, it took a few days to finally figure out how to approach you without scaring you . . . but I still did it the wrong way. Obviously.”
“We can’t tell my uncle. There’s no logical way to explain how I could’ve met you before this, and there’s no way in hell I’m telling him or the rest of my family the truth.”
“Okay.”
“And we can’t tell your family,” she added. “I wouldn’t be able to face them again if they knew.”
I looked away for a second and tried to brace myself for her reaction to what I was about to say. “My dad knows.” Kennedy’s eyes widened, and I said, “The truth. I told him today.”
“Oh my God,” she said on a breath.
“My sister won’t know, neither will my mom. But I have a different relationship with my dad than most people. I tell him everything. He’d already known about you last year, and I knew there was no way he wouldn’t eventually put things together.”
“Your dad thinks I’m a whore, Liam!” she whispered harshly, her eyes darting around to make sure no one was listening to us. “I can’t go back to that gym now.”
My eyes narrowed at her assumption. Sure, my sister would automatically think something along those lines because that’s just the way she was. But it was pissing me off that Kennedy would think I’d make her out to seem like a whore. Then again, we still didn’t know each other.
“No, he doesn’t. That’s the last thing he thinks, I can assure you. And yes, you can go back to the gym. He was mad I hadn’t told him before he hired you, and was worried you would both quit if I talked to you tonight. So if anything, he’s on your side right now.”