A strange, hot stiffness flared across my lower back, making me freeze for a second with my hand still on the glass handle. It felt like a thin wire tightening under my skin, pulling my shoulders down and making my breath feel shallow.
“I can clean it,” I said softly, reaching for the cloth in my pocket.
“Just sit down before you drop the whole thing,” my father said, checking the time on his watch again. “We do not have the time to clean up another spill today.”
I pulled out the wicker chair, but the wood scraped against the deck with a sharp screech that made my mother wince and cover her ear with her palm.
“That noise goes right through my teeth, Olivia,” Jennifer said, her voice fluttering as she reached for her glass. “Try to be a little more mindful of the furniture.”
I sat on the very edge of the wicker seat, keeping my spine as straight as possible to avoid the sharp pinch near my tailbone. The water of Silver Lake looked dark green from this angle, almost black where the shadow of the mountains fell across the middle of the bay.
“Your brother is coming down from his room in a few minutes,” Robert said, pouring himself a full glass of the lemonade. “He spent the morning working out on the lower dock.”
“He needs to keep his legs warm for the scrimmage next week,” Jennifer said, her eyes shining as she looked toward the stairs. “The coaches are expecting great things from him this season.”
I held my glass with both hands, my fingers cold against the condensation, and said nothing.
“He is going to make varsity captain before the year is out,” Robert said, his tone leaving no room for anyone to disagree.
