The Checklist by Addie Woolridge (color ebook reader TXT) 📗

been laid low by that sad, self-important suit wearer,” Neale said, hugging her knees, subconsciously mirroring Dylan’s posture.

“Which one?”

“Better question: Why do you know so many?”

Dylan looked over at her sister, who met her gaze with benign kindness etched on her face.

“Nicolas.”

“I really have.” Dylan sighed, sinking back into herself. When Neale didn’t fill the space, Dylan felt her thoughts slide out of her mouth. “The problem wasn’t really the suit. It was that his personality was his suit. A gray attempt at purchasing class.”

“Dylan, that was very biting of you. I’m proud.”

“Thanks. I wish I could say it was intentional.”

“Okay, but here’s point number two, which is out of order and wasn’t actually a point I was going to make, but now seems like the time for hard truths.” Neale scowled at her own digression, shook her head, and continued. “Anyway. You need to take credit where it’s due. The second suit guy. Where the hell is he? You should have a whole team for this job. Instead he sent you and some vague promises about turning up. You deserve credit for all of the good stuff you did at Technocore.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Stop it. You being good at your job doesn’t make you responsible for Jason being bad at his,” Neale said.

“Jared. But yeah.”

Neale shrugged at his name as if it were an unimportant detail. “Honestly, just because I don’t get your job doesn’t mean I can’t tell you’re good at it. If Kaplan can’t see that, do you really want to make partner there?”

“You’re right.”

“Damn right I’m right.” Neale grinned. “Tell me when I’ve been wrong?” Dylan opened her mouth to start a list, but Neale held up a hand. “Rhetorical question.”

Dylan smiled, feeling the dried tears on her cheeks stretch and crack with the unfamiliar movement. “Anything else?”

“What?” Neale asked, staring at a stain on the ceiling.

“You said that was point two. Are there more?”

“You know there is. Don’t play.”

Dylan felt her neck tighten again. She had been hoping to avoid a discussion where her faults were on greater display.

“Standing up your work friends, even when you are terrifically surprise busy, isn’t cool. But the real question is, Why did you make those promises in the first place?”

“I just wanted to keep a lid on everything. Keep people happy. That’s my job.”

“Bull. Your job was to improve Technocore’s image and operations. How does overpromising and underdelivering serve that goal?”

“Okay, enough with the tough questions. Are you going to be a consultant now?” Dylan arched an eyebrow at her sister.

“It looks like Kaplan may be hiring.”

“Ouch.” Dylan flinched.

“All right, that was mean. I’m sorry, Dylan. Too much tough love?” Neale leaned her forehead on her sister’s shoulder, as if the closeness of the gesture would take the sting out of her words.

“I just finished snotting everywhere. Maybe proceed with caution for another fifteen minutes?”

“All I’m trying to say is that you wanted to fix things so badly you made it worse. It’s okay to say no. Especially when the request is unrealistic given the other variables.”

“God, you sound like me at work.”

“No need to sling insults. You know how I feel about nine-to-five.” Neale giggled, lifting her head off Dylan’s shoulder to look at her sister. “Ready for the superhard stuff?”

“Yes, but be gentle. I still have at least twelve minutes on my snot timer.”

Neale laughed, nudging her sister’s foot with her old sneaker. “There isn’t a gentle way to say this part. You messed up with Mike and Stacy. And I know you don’t want to hear it, but you need to fix it.”

Dylan’s chin trembled, and she focused all her effort on keeping tears off her face as her sister continued.

“All the other stuff you can walk away from. Doing nothing is an option you can respect, but you can’t leave them that way and sleep at night. It’s just not who you are.”

“I know.” Her voice was timid, but Dylan worried that if she put any more effort behind it, whatever was holding the next wave of tears back would lose ground.

“Take it from me. Some relationships are too dear to let go of without a fight.”

Dylan nodded and felt a few tears dislodge in the process. Neale reached up with the corner of her sweater, prompting Dylan to use the back of her hand to wipe them away and exhale a shaky breath. “You’re still right.”

“Like I said, tell me when I’m wrong!” She laughed and wrapped her arm around her sister. Neale was taller and her shoulders were narrower, but her arm was long enough to make room for Dylan under her protective cover. Squeezing her sister, she added, “You are good at fixing. You can do this. I wish I could fix this for you now, but I don’t know how.”

“I don’t either.” Dylan shuddered as the tears started in full force again. “I never don’t know how.”

Neale wrapped her other arm around her, pulling Dylan into a strange, crouched bear hug. It wasn’t particularly comfortable but was comforting just the same. Brushing Dylan’s hair away from her face, Neale planted a kiss on her sister’s head, her hair muffling her words. “You’ll try. And maybe fail. But you’ll sort it.”

“Thanks,” Dylan mumbled into the little pocket of space between their shoulders.

“It’s what I’m here for,” Neale said, before releasing her sister and straightening her spine. “We have to get up now,” she said, abruptly getting to her feet.

“What?”

“We gotta get up. I can see Mom and Dad coming back across the street, and you know how much Dad loves group hugs and crying together. I’m not in the mood for all of him today.” Neale cringed.

Dylan laughed as her sister pulled her to her feet and tried once more to wipe her face with her sweater. She ducked under her sister’s arm and smiled. “Any last words of wisdom, oh sage?”

Neale looked out the window, where their parents had stopped to admire the Tiger in the yard, putting on