Page 160 of Unlucky Like Us
Moffy goes rigid. “Some of us did go to Camp Calloway that year. You weren’t there, but I hosted a Camp-Away for H.M.C. Philanthropies.”
“Did I go to the lake house around that time?”
He nods strongly, then takes out his phone. “You okay with me telling Farrow you’re remembering this?”
“Sure.” I shrug. “But when I was in the hospital, I had glimpses of this time period. My eighteenth birthday…I think we had spaghetti family dinner. Did Xander pierce his ears?”
“So did Kinney. Farrow did it.”
Right.TheFarrow part is a bit hazy. “Then Camp Calloway. But everything is totally dark at the lake house. I can tell it was cold, but I think we were there early…”
“It was before Christmas,” he confirms.
“We weren’t there for the holidays?”
He shakes his head.
“Why not?”
Now hereallystiffens. He mentions a Big Event that brought everyone there before the holidays. Nothing he’s comfortable retelling for my sake. Icoulddo an internet search. But I’m scared to be drowned in a rabbit hole of Big Bad Events.
“What happened back then has more to do with me and Jane,” he says. “You weren’t really involved in it, but you did join us on the damage control tour.”
Huh. I learn all about the FanCon tour. Okay, notallabout it. He gives me a brief synopsis, and it sounds way too fun to miss.Do not mourn the tour.
Too late.
“You remember nothing about the tour?” he asks.
“Uh-uh. I barely remember anything pastarrivingat the lake house.” My ribs throb against my aching lungs. “I’ve still forgotten three years, haven’t I?”
“About, yeah.” He pockets his phone, his burst of happiness popped. He thought I was getting better. Moffy is good at caging emotions, so I can’t tell if he’s disturbed by Variant Luna (akame). “You’ll remember when you’re ready to, sis. You know?”
I try to nod.
Moffy bops my head lovingly, and our childhood tries to lift my spirits. He says, “Don’t put too much stress on yourself over it. I’m a knower of things,andI have this super annoying husband who practically drilled in my brain: Stress Bad, Relaxing Good.”
My brother loves Farrow.
It pummelsme again. Two of the most important, influential people in my whole life cosmically collided together—and I can’t even reminisce with him.
Because I never saw them fall in love.
I spin around, pretending to examine an old Sagittarius tapestry thumbtacked to the wall. Walking forward, tacked beside the cloth is a black pen drawing of the Leo constellation. My heart leaps.
“Do you know Donnelly’s birthdate?” I ask my brother.
“August…13th, I’m pretty sure, but I can double-check—”
“No, that’s okay.”August 13th.Donnelly would be a Leo. I run my finger over the stars. Another sheet is stuck beneath this one. I lift the paper and a hidden sketch steals my breath. Stars and planets swirl around two figures: a girl, a guy.Is that us?
Why did I hide it?
Then again, would I even be that forthcoming if I got a boyfriend? I could see myself not sharing with so many people. Less voices mean less opinions, and sometimes it’s easier to just keep things to myself. Seeing a romantic sketch concealed beneath another just saddens me though.
“You have any other questions?” Moffy asks.
“Why can’t I remember anything about him?” I turn to face my brother.