Page 70 of In Your Wake

She tears the bottle from my hands and takes a swig from it, swallowing the alcohol down with an intense grimace. “Ugh. This is the worst thing ever invented.”

“Then why are you drinking it?” She hands me the bottle and I take a sip, making the same grossed-out face. Her light laugh, like wind chimes, instantly slows my racing heart.

“As I said, rough day.”

“And I’m guessing Fucker wasn’t around to take care of you?” I nod toward the TV screen.

“Ha. Funny.” Unamused, she side-eyes me, but I get the impression something else is going on, and it’s not just my joke falling flat.

“Oh, come on.” I bump her shoulder with mine. “I was only teasing you.”

“We’re done. I dumped him.”

“Oh.” I take a drink, immediately regretting it.

“Say it.” She takes the bottle back and sets it down on the table.

“Say what?”

“What you’re thinking.”

“I was thinking it’s a shame it didn’t work out between the two of you.”

She grabs the pack of Oreos, offering me one. I shove the entire cookie into my mouth, and Maxine gapes at me.

“What?” I ask, slowly chewing.

“You put the whole thing in your mouth.”

“Yeah, so?”

“That’s blasphemous,” she says, then looks away.

“Can’t I eat my cookies however I want?” I ask, grinning.

She shakes her head with a tiny laugh. “Sure you can. And you weren’t thinking that about me and Tucker.”

I frown. “Yes, I was.”

“Nope. You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are. I can tell,” she replies with a smirk.

“You can tell?” I laugh, licking my lips.

Suddenly her finger is on my left eyebrow and I freeze, stunned by her touch.

“This little guy twitches when you’re lying,” she explains. She leaves her finger there for a second longer, then brushes it along my brow before pulling her hand away. Goosebumps spread down my neck. The lingering warmth from her touch brings my hand up to cover my brow.

“Shut up. It doesn’t do that.”

“Uh-huh, it does,” she replies with a playful giggle that fills the room with the ghosts of our past. With something as simple as her shy smile, we’re kids again, hanging out, eating junk, being silly, without a care in the world.

I stare at her, noting how much more beautiful she’s grown. She stares back, but all too soon, she looks away and tucks her loose hair behind her ear. The quiet moment vanishes in a flash, and her face drops, her eyes darkening.

“For real, Maxine. I’m sorry about you and Tucker.”