He threw an M&M in the air and caught it in his mouth. “Whatever.”
I looked over at Drew.
“What do you think? Do you really think she didn’t mean it?”
He leaned across the table with way too much dramatic flair for four p.m. on a Monday. “I think if there’s the smallest chance you could find love like I have, then you should go for it. Guys, love is awesome, you gotta just go for it.” He clasped his palm to his chest, right over his heart. “Emerson is my person and Molly is your person, and Jupe – what’s her name?”
“Whose name?”
“Your hypothetical love that you lost?”
Jupiter closed his eyes with a long sigh. “Marnie.”
“Marnie is your person, Jupe. And we can work on her once we’ve fixed Felix. Everyone deserves love.”
Jupiter shook his head, sad and low. “Nope. Marnie is gone. There’s no fixing that. She’s gone, I don’t even know where she is or what country she’s in. I haven’t seen or heard from her in ten years. I fucked it up good and proper.”
I looked up as I heard a sniff coming from Drew’s direction.
“Now look what you did. You’ve made him cry.”
Jupiter threw back the rest of his drink. “Crawley, stop crying. If anyone’s gonna cry it should be me. You two have both found love, and I lost it.”
“I’m not, I’m just…” Drew wiped his eyes. “I think we’re pretty drunk, right?”
I shrugged. I did feel a bit fuzzy, but I felt like that a lot recently. “I dunno, maybe. I must be if I’m considering that kidnapping Molly is a good idea.”
“It’s not kidnapping. You just want to speak to her in a space where she can’t leave until she’s listened to what you have to say.”
My brow creased as I looked at him. “I think that’s kidnapping.”
“No, it’s borrowing her time.”
“Well, whatever you want to call it, I still don’t know how I’m going to do it.”
“Emerson will know what to do.” Drew’s eyes opened in surprise as he hiccupped. “Let me call her and see if she minds coming here to help instead, then hopefully she won’t notice that we’re drunk.”
“She’s not gone blind,” Jupiter muttered as he nudged me, pointing at Drew who was already on the phone. “Just feel lucky you don’t have to worry about that yet.”
“Yeah,” I scratched my beard absently, “but I think I kind of want to.”
“Yeah.”
Chapter 28
Ilooked at my watch. T minus twenty-three minutes.
My belly was spasming and I rubbed my hand over it, trying to ease what was going on. Ease the nerves that were using my gut to party like it was Nineteen Ninety-Nine.
I’d never really had nerves before. Not before a big game. Not before cup final games. Not before anything.
Not even for either of my grandparents’ funerals.
But now, before I’m about to meet my friend of twelve years who’s been avoiding me for weeks?
I might very well puke. I should have come prepared with a vomit bag.
“You okay?”
