"Where are Charlie and Liam?" he asks.
" A restaurant opening? I think that's what Mom said last night. Or was it date night?"
"Oh the new fusion one?"
"It's possible." I shrug.
He rolls his eyes and wanders outside to join Addie and Jade, and I follow.
"What do you think of your mom's hair?" Addie asks, turning on her phone's flashlight and pointing it at Jade.
"Dude," Jade says, putting her hand up to shield her eyes.
"It's pink," Cooper says definitively.
"It looks great, doesn't it?" Addie asks. I know she's talking to me. I can feel her staring, but I can't take my eyes off the storm cloud before me.
Jade's tongue slides over her lip ring, and I swallow. I'm grateful Addie's phone is still on Jade because if it was on me, they might see I'm holding my breath. I'm afraid to speak, afraid of the words that might come out. Words like how I'd like to see that pink hair splayed across my pillow or wrapped around my fist.
"It looks really pretty, Mom."
Saved by the punk.
Addie raises an eyebrow but shuts off her flashlight.
Cooper yawns and then winces.
"Bed, kid," Jade says.
"Can I read?"
"Thirty minutes."
He considers this for a second and nods. "What time is it?"
"No clue, my phone's dead," Jade says. "Ads?"
Hearing her call Addie by my nickname for her stirs something inside me. Has she always called her that? Or is it new since I've been home? It shouldn't matter, but I hope it's the latter. It would mean she's paying attention.
To me.
Chapter sixteen
Jade
It's the lack of noise that wakes me up; it always does when I sleep at Addie's. No neighbors yelling or cars racing down the street. No loud ass television seeping through paper-thin walls.
The quiet isn't empty though, it's comforting.
Coop is asleep next to me, so I carefully reach for my phone on the nightstand. Six oh three. It's Saturday, why the hell am I up so early? I should go back to sleep, but I have to pee.
I climb out of bed carefully and take my phone to the bathroom with me so I can see if Addie sent me the photos she took last night. Last night was a lot of fun. It was nice to hang out with my friend and not worry about Coop. Because I didn't. Not once. I pee and wash my hands and then lean back on the counter to check for the pictures.
What I don't expect is a text from Mateo.
Mateo
If you ever want to stop playing with boys, you know where to find me.
