The Cousins

by Karen M. McManus

“Everybody has secrets,” she says, taking a sip of her drink. “That’s nondebatable. The only question is whether you’re keeping your own, or someone else’s.”

Not even close, but he doesn’t have to know that. Or that the smaller suitcase is nothing but shoes.

Every time Jonah opens his mouth, I wonder if this entire summer was a mistake.

Family first, always.

“You know what you did.”

“Gladly. Just as soon as you tell me who the hell you are, Jonah North, and why you’re pretending to be my cousin.”

Yes, I want the necklace. But more than that, I want Mom to want to give it to me. I want her to be the kind of person who would care about passing along something meaningful from mother to daughter, no strings attached.

“Do you mean proactive like when you fucked my swim coach and knocked her up? Is that the kind of proactive I should be shooting for?”

“The Story family is seriously messed up.”