“Have you ever hiked around this area?” “Oh, yes. Several times. I’m happy to give you some recs, if—” “Nah, we know where we’re going. Would love for you to come with us, though.” Oh. Oh. “Thank you, that’s really lovely, but…” Does he think I’m Lukas’s girlfriend? “But?” Say that you have class. A date. Say something about being allergic to the sun. But when I sneak a glance at Lukas and find him staring, all I feel is a frisson of annoyance that he’s not the one put in the unpleasant position of lying to his kind brother, and what comes out of my mouth is “I doubt Lukas wants me to go with
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