Every Kiss(60)
“I’ll see if my parents have any plans for me, and if they don’t, I might come with you. It’ll be nice to relax and read on the beach for a few days.”
She stares at me, her eyes bugging out of her head. “Are you kidding me? Every other time you’ve come with us, you’ve had these grand plans of shopping and partying. What’s with the sudden geriatrics?”
“I don’t know. I’m just tired, I guess. I’ve been really busy the last few weeks.”
“No, you’ve been really depressing these last few weeks. Tell me the truth . . . is this about Wes? You haven’t said a word about him since he walked out of his parents’ house that day, he hasn’t been calling, and Shane said he hasn’t seen him much lately. I’ve been patiently waiting for you to finally give up and talk to me about what’s been eating at you, but my patience is wearing thin. What really happened that day?”
I roll my eyes while taping the last box. “Mak, there’s nothing more to tell. He got pissed at me for speaking my mind. It was just a one night kind of thing, and we both agreed to that before it ever started. Wes has his own life, and I’m not really a part of it. We’re just friends. Not even that, really. We’re acquaintances, who used each other for sex. It’s that simple.”
“You’re not a very good liar.” She snatches the tape dispenser from me and tosses it onto the bed, glowering at me. “Why don’t you just admit it? I can see it. Shane can see it. You like him.”
“Of course, I do. Most of the time, he’s a decent guy, and he can be fun to hang out with. That doesn’t mean I’m pining over him or anything.”
But I am.
“Well, whatever. I know something is up with you. I also know it has something to do with Wes. But I’m going to drop it for now because you’re clearly not going to own up to it. So to make it up to me, you’re coming with me to Gulf Shores. It is your twenty-first birthday next Saturday, after all. I’ve been around for every one of your birthdays since you were eight, and I’m not about to start missing them now.”
My eighth birthday was where it all began for us. My parents were really busy with starting their careers, so they planned my party last minute. I wanted to invite the girls from my dance class, but they sent out invitations so late that everyone already had plans. Only one girl showed up, and she’s stuck with me ever since. Even though Makenna is a year younger, we seemed to click right from the start. She made me forget that no one else showed up to my party, and that birthday ended up being the most memorable I’ve ever had.
“Okay. You have yourself a deal. I’ll go, but you have nothing to prove now. You’ve already had alcohol and your first kiss—among other firsts—so there’s nothing left to experience. Let’s just keep it low key this time, okay?”
She wraps her arms around me and squeezes tight. “It’s only going to be a week before I see you again, and I already miss you.”
“I know what you mean,” I say, leaning my head over onto hers. “I love you, too.”
GETTING SETTLED BACK into my old bedroom is a lot less fun than I imagined. I was looking forward to being back, but as I look around at all of the junk from high school plastered all over my walls, I almost feel like I’ve been transported back in time. I’ve matured a lot over the last few years, so seeing all of this is a little weird for me. I don’t know why it’s never bothered me before, though.
“Hey, sweetie,” Mom sings, rushing into the room to hug me. She’s still wearing her lab coat over her scrubs, and the sterile scent of her office clings to her. But as always, her makeup and short blond hair are flawless. “Sorry I’m so late. I had a couple of procedures scheduled this afternoon, and they both took longer than I thought. What do you want for dinner? Your dad was hoping to be back home tonight, but he won’t be coming in until the weekend. They’re having some major issues at that nuclear plant he’s working in right now. Maybe we can all go to dinner for your birthday when he gets in Saturday. I know he’s excited to see you.”
Sometimes, I feel like I need to keep a notepad to keep up with everything she says in a conversation. “I don’t really care what we eat. I’m not really all that hungry. And I won’t be home this weekend. Remember? I’m going to Gulf Shores with Makenna for the week.”
“Oh, yeah. I do remember. Well, maybe we can plan a little birthday party for when you and your dad are back home. Whatever you want to do. But why aren’t you hungry? You always have an opinion about what we eat, and ever since you got here last Friday, you’ve been . . . well, unopinionated. About everything. That’s not like you at all. Something wrong?”