Grime Read Online Free PDF Page A

that.
But she was like, no dude, it’s gotta be us. It’s gotta be my
brother and sisters. We gotta do it. Shit, man. You could’ve hired
some cheap bastards off the internet and it would’ve been done by
now.”
    “Wait, this was Gwen’s idea?”
    “Yeah, man. What’d you think?”
    “I assumed it was Jamie.” I try to recall the
emails and texts I got arranging today. Were they all from
Gwen?
    “No, man, no. Jamie, she and Val wouldn’t
even say yes to coming until Gwen told them you’d booked your
flight.”
    “Huh.” That’s weird.
    He laughs. “Right? Gwen’s a piece of work. A
real piece of work. Love her, though.” He rolls his head over his
shoulder and looks up at me sideways. “You think I do? You think I
love her?”
    Jesus Christ. “Yeah, of course.”
    “You think she loves me?”
    “Sure seems like it.”
    “You think I’m good for her?”
    God, he’s drunk. “Are you?”
    “I’m asking, man. She’s your sister. Your
opinion matters.”
    “I doubt that. Gwen and I aren’t exactly
joined at the hip. I don’t think she gives a shit about my opinions
on her love life.”
    “To me. It matters to me. Do you think I’m
good for her?”
    We’re stopped at a light, so I look him in
the eyes. “I don’t know, man. I have no fucking idea what’s good
for Gwen. You’re kind of a dick, but I think anyone would probably
have to be to put up with her.”
    He grins. “Yeah, gotta be a dick to handle
the crazy. I like that, man. I like that.” He rolls back to the
other side until his forehead is pressed against the window. “She’s
great gash, though. The crazy ones always are.” He closes his eyes
and starts singing along with the radio. He’s completely tone deaf,
but as long as he’s not talking to me anymore he can sing as much
as he wants.
    It’s not until we’re at the dump that he
speaks again.
    “I get it, though, man.”
    “Get what?”
    “Doing this house thing yourselves. Closure.
Family bullshit. I get it.”
    “Yeah, I guess.”
    “Your sister’s still crazy, though.”
    When we get back to the house Val’s car is
gone. Ethan goes straight for the cooler and settles down on the
porch with his beer while I go inside. Gwen and Jamie are in the
hallway, turning out the closet. “Where’d Val go?”
    Jamie looks up at me. “She’s in the den.”
    “I don’t think so. Her car’s gone.”
    “Did Ethan come back with you?” Gwen
asks.
    “No, I left him at the dump,” I reply
sarcastically. “He’s on the porch.”
    “What’s he doing out there?”
    “What do you think?” I mime taking a swig
from a can.
    “Don’t be a cunt.” She throws an old deflated
soccer ball down the hallway, missing the box she was aiming for by
a good three feet. “He doesn’t usually drink that much, but it’s
his only day off all week and he’s spending it here helping us, so
cut him some slack.”
    “I didn’t say anything.”
    “You were thinking it pretty loud,
though.”
    I pick up the ball and drop it in the box.
“He told me this was your idea. I thought it was Jamie’s.”
    “Why’d you think that?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Well, it was mine.” It’s just a split
second, but something about the way they glance at each other
catches my attention. I wonder if something happened while Ethan
and I were gone.
    “So are we not concerned about Val
disappearing, then?” I ask.
    “Not really,” Jamie shrugs. “She’ll be back.
She probably just needed some air. She’s been working her ass off
all day.”
    “God, she’s like some kind of machine,” I
agree. “I wonder how she got that way.”
    “She’s used to it. When you’re always
go-go-go like she is, it’s hard to stop and slow down. You forget
where the brakes are.”
    “Val’s always go-go-go?” I ask. “Doing what?
She doesn’t even have a job, does she?”
    They both stop and stare at me with their
eyes slightly narrowed, like they aren’t sure if they heard me
right or not.