Bertrand Court Read Online Free PDF

Amy,” Hannah said. “You’re giving us nothing. Nada.”
    The hell with them. She’ll tell them about Leon. That the sex was quiet but deeply satisfying. That they laughed over nothing. “Three, I’m in love with a widower who owns a WeedWacker.”
    â€œA widower who owns a WeedWacker! Sounds like the punch line to a joke,” Hannah said.
    Amy glared at Hannah.
    Hannah fake-glared back and imitated Amy folding her arms across her chest. “Prunella.”
    Prunella the witch. Amy cringed at the nickname their father used whenever she used to throw a tantrum or gave the stink eye to a relative she didn’t like.
    â€œThe not flossing is the lie,” Becca said. “Has to be.”
    â€œAmy never used to floss. It’s the WeedWacker boyfriend,” Hannah said.
    â€œI floss plenty,” Amy muttered.
    Hannah nodded knowingly. “You’d eat WeedWacker man alive.”
    Eat him alive, Hannah? Nice. Real nice . The Solonskys made a sport out of teasing Amy, and she no longer wanted to serve as their chew toy. “Whatever.”
    Hannah cleared her throat loudly. She removed a rubber band from her wrist and put her hair in a messy bun. “I’m ready. Number one—”
    Amy cut her off by clapping her hands. “Number one. Hannah ate a cherry tomato in the grocery store without paying for it.” She laughed, but the sound that came out of her was sharply edged, not her bleat that everyone said was contagious. Hannah gave her sister one of her bemused smiles. “Are you done?” Okay, now they’d safely resumed their assigned places at the family dinner table of life.
    â€œNot yet, angel.” Amy reached into her bag and pulled out a pack of Marlboros. Nobody smoked in this zip code. Leon hated it when she lit up. She tweezed out a cigarette and tapped it against the arm of the chair. “Number two, Hannah removed the tag from her new mattress.” Amy noticed Becca and Maggie looking at each other with “There she goes again” expressions. Yeah, there she goes, right to the fire. Amy got up and leaned into the pit, the heat fogging her glasses as she brought her cigarette to the tip of a flame and breathed in.
    â€œJesus, Amy,” Becca said. “You’re going to burn your face off.”
    Amy took a long drag. “That’s Hannah. Boring, boring, boring,” she said as she exhaled, blowing smoke up toward the moon.
    â€œOkay, time to give your sister a turn, Amy,” Becca said as if she’d just settled a squabble over who got to ride shotgun in the Solonsky family car. Hannah always rode in front despite the fact that Eric was older and Amy was the only one in the family with a sense of direction.
    â€œYou’ll have to forgive Amy,” Hannah said.
    â€œNow, that’s a line we’ve never heard before.” Amy flicked ash on the grass.
    â€œNumber one.” Hannah put her bottle down on the grass. “I gave my in-laws food poisoning the first time I cooked Thanksgiving dinner.”
    Lie. Amy yawned. The dinner turned out perfectly, of course. She was there.
    â€œNumber two, I had a crush on a Wiggle.”
    â€œEw, she did. It was Murray.” Amy took one last drag on her cigarette and tossed the butt into the fire.
    â€œDon’t interrupt, Amy. That’s cheating,” Maggie said.
    â€œNot like I was interrupted or anything,” Amy muttered under her breath.
    â€œIt’s okay.” Hannah sighed deeply. She shrugged off the Pashmina. She and Amy had inherited their mother’s lovely collarbones, but now Hannah’s protruded out of her body like wings.
    Amy snorted. “Drum roll please.”
    â€œNumber three.” Hannah spoke so softly that the women leaned toward her.
    â€œNumber three, I stole a sterling silver baby spoon from my dead Aunt Sylvia.”
    Hannah’s truth hung suspended in the air, like a wrecking ball in