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I must’ve fallen asleep, because when I wake up, the television is blaring, and it’s dark outside. Someone pounds on the door, and I remember that was what woke me in the first place. I don’t even have the chance to see what time it is when Kayla starts yelling at me to open up. I hurl myself off the couch and stumble over, barely able to keep my eyes open. Kayla looks unimpressed when I finally open the door.
“Hey,” I say, rubbing my eyes. I stifle a yawn, still waking up.
“Hurry up and let me in. It’s freaking freezing out here.” She pauses and stares at me, as if only just noticing my heavy eyes and messed up hair. “Were you asleep already?” she asks, almost accusingly.
“I fell asleep on the couch,” I mutter defensively. “What time is it?” she asks.
“Just after ten.” She leans in the door and glances around. “So…is your dad home?”
“His car’s not there, so no,” I say, making a face. “He must be working late again,” I add when I realize I’m sounding like a bitch. I don’t think Kayla knows about his new girlfriend, and I’m not about to shatter her dream.
Sometimes I wonder if she comes over to see me or my Dad. He was young when he got my mom pregnant—barely seventeen, which made him thirty-nine now. I don’t deny that he’s attractive, but I don’t want to think about my friend liking him like that. Hell, I could barely handle the thought of anyone liking him like that.
“So, why are you here again, at ten at night?” I eye her suspiciously.
She smiles at me, her eyes wide and full of innocence. It’s a look she’d perfected over the years, and I wasn’t falling for it. I cross my arms over my chest and raise my eyebrows at her. Finally, she sighs.
“What? I'm here for the show.” She grins, reaching into her oversized handbag to reveal a bag of popcorn and a bottle of wine.
“Out,” I order, pointing to the door, but I can’t help but laugh.
“Oh, come on. Please?” she begs. “I just want one little peek, and then I promise I’ll never mention it again,” she begs. “It’s either this, or I camp outside your window and watch from there.” She smiles at me, a glint in her eye. “If you make me do that, I’ll embarrass the hell out of you.” She cups her hand over her mouth. “’Holy shit, Anna, you weren’t kidding! That thing is huge.’”
She would do that, too. I sigh and run my fingers through my long, blonde hair. I can't believe I'm even contemplating this. Part of me wants her to see, just so then she can see that my description was actually very accurate. I groan and shake my head, giving in.
“Fine,” I say, clenching my teeth. She squeals as she dances her way down to my bedroom, while I follow behind.
This is such a bad idea“Are you ready?” I ask her.
My heart races. She nods, her expression serious and determined. We sit on my bed in the darkness, staring at each other, waiting for his light to click on. The look on her face is priceless. It’s like we’re waiting on the sidelines for the signal to enter the war zone.
“Ready as I’m going to be,” she replies, taking a deep breath.
“Wait,” I say, holding up my hand. Kayla stares at me in anticipation. “Wine. We need wine.”
I race back down to the kitchen and grab two glasses and carry them back. Kayla has moved off the bed and is going through my dresser. She glances at me and rolls her eyes.
“Hoarder, much? You keep fucking everything,” she mutters. She shakes her head and examines an old movie stub that I had stashed in a drawer. I walk over and snatch it from her.
“This was the only movie my mother ever took me to,” I explain.
“Oh.” She winces. “Fuck, sorry.” She hesitates for a moment before sitting back down on the bed. “I thought she left when you were born?”
“She did,” I nod. “She and my dad decided to give things another go when she moved back from London. It lasted about three weeks,” I say, forcing a laugh. “She said it was too much and motherhood wasn’t her thing. So, she went back, and I haven’t seen her since. That was when I was five.”
“Harsh,” she says. We’re both distracted by a sudden flash of light. We look over and see the light in Nick’s room is on. My heart races. I turn back to Kayla, who is grinning at me like an idiot.
“You’re about to see something you can’t unsee,” I say with a grin. “You might think you’re ready for this, but trust me, you’re not.”
“Will you stop it?” she grumbles, shoving me off the bed. I laugh as I fall on a heap on the floor. I creep over to the window, Kayla hot on my ass. “Why am I nervous? My stomach is churning,” she says, shaking her head.
