Every Kiss(61)
“No, I’ve just been really stressed out lately, and I’ve been using this time to wind down.”
She smiles sweetly and nods. “Well, winding down is exactly what you need, then. You and Makenna are leaving tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, I need to finish my laundry and get packed.” I glance over at the last pile of dirty clothes in the basket by my door. “Shouldn’t take too long.”
“Okay, baby. Why don’t you get that started, and I’ll go throw together a grilled chicken salad for us.” She starts out the door but stops short. “Oh, and make sure you pack lots of sunscreen. I have some really high SPF in my bathroom cabinet you can take. And don’t forget to stay under the umbrella if you go out on the beach this week.”
The joys of having a dermatologist mother. “Yes, ma’am.”
As soon as I get my clothes in the washing machine and start back to my room, my Breaking Benjamin ringtone echoes down the hallway, and I have to run across the house to catch it in time.
“Hey, Mak,” I answer breathlessly.
“Hey, you! How’s life back at home going?”
I flop onto my bed. “Weird. You?”
“The same. But I have some good news. No, better than good. Amazing news.” She’s bouncing around like a lunatic. I can hear it in her voice.
“What is it? Don’t tell me you got engaged or something like that.”
She laughs. “Do I sound like I’m crying? Do you know me at all?”
Good point. She’d definitely be crying about that. “True. So what is it?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Huh? “What do you mean by that? How can it be ‘news’ if you’re not telling me what it is? Why can’t you tell me?”
“Just can’t. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but you’ll find out in the morning when I pick you up. Be ready to leave around ten in the morning, and don’t forget your sunscreen.” She loves to joke about my mom’s affinity for sun protection, but she’ll be slathering it on as much as I will.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve already been reminded. And for the record, I hate it when you know something I don’t. It’s just plain creepy.”
“Knowledge is power, and I have it all for a change. Now you know what it feels like to be me. Sleep on it and stew in it.” She cackles, thoroughly enjoying this. “See you in the morning. Goodnight, Cal!”
“Night, Mak,” I grumble.
But honestly, not knowing the big surprise isn’t really bothering me. I still have a feeling it has something to do with Shane. These days, everything Makenna gets excited about has to do with Shane, not that I can blame her for that.
I’m surprisingly more anxious to leave than I would’ve imagined though. A week ago, I was trying to talk myself into going with her, and now I can hardly wait to get away for a few days. Sure, hanging out with her brainiac parents isn’t exactly the epitome of a relaxing vacation, but it beats sitting at home alone all day while my parents work. It stresses me out. And I really have missed Makenna.
Finally, after waking up every hour to check the time, morning comes. Of course, by the time my alarm clock goes off, I am sleeping soundly. It always seems to work that way, for some reason. After rolling out of bed and getting ready, I drag my suitcase into the living room and set it by the front door with just enough time to spare for a cup of coffee.
My mom breezes into the kitchen, looking much the same as she did last night—perfect, as always. “Morning, sweetie. Sleep well?”
“Could’ve been better,” I yawn, topping off my coffee with my favorite caramel creamer. “I was too excited to sleep, I guess.”
She sweeps her bangs across her forehead as if they weren’t already in perfect place. “Well, I bet you’ll catch up while you’re on vacation. You and Makenna can just be as lazy as you want, and you’ll have the place all to yourself, so you can do whatever you want to.”
I screw up my face and look at her like she’s totally lost it. “Mom, I told you we’re going with Makenna’s parents. Just like before.”
“I know what you said.” She grins. “And I also know that when her parents were asked to go museum hopping in Washington D.C., they called me to see if your dad and I would like to take their reservation at the beach house, so you and Makenna could still go. I told them you girls have been working hard in school and deserved a vacation on your own. So . . . that’s what you’re doing. We’ve split the cost of the house for the week, and . . .” She reaches into her scrubs pocket for a pink envelope. “Open it.”