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What if I still had a chance?
What if…
I swear, those two words were more addictive than crack. I clung to them neurotically, imaging everything that could be while completely ignoring how it really was. It’s funny, but I think having too much hope actually made a person even more of a hopeless case. Because that’s what I was: absolutely hopeless.
34
Haven
We hit two more spook houses before the night was over. On the trip back to the apartment, the interior of Wick’s truck grew quiet, making me think everyone was getting tired and were ready to drop off.
But as soon as he found a parking spot a block from our place, the sisters perked back to life.
“Can we drink?” Charlie begged Darcy as we piled out of the truck. “Please, please, please. You let us last year.”
“Last year,” Darcy started with a wince. “Was a mistake.”
“Oh, come on,” Izzy started in too. “This is the only time Charlie and I get to have a little alcohol.”
Their oldest sister sent them a pleasant smirk. “Not true. You can have as much as you please when you both turn twenty-one.”
Abandoning her, they turned to their brother. “Wick,” they pleaded, tugging on his arm as we approached the complex.
He held up a finger. “One drink.”
“Wick,” Darcy cried as the other two cheered and raced on ahead of us.
He shrugged. “What’s the harm? They’re going to be inside the rest of the night, and one glass won’t kill them. Besides, this has got to be better than them going to some crazy classmate’s party for alcohol and really getting into trouble.”
“Wow, you’re going to be such a strict father someday.”
Shaking her head as if disappointed, Darcy hurried to follow the other two sisters inside.
“So… They’re really staying the night?” I asked when Wick lagged behind as if bummed he’d done the wrong thing.
He glanced at me. The streetlights made the angles of his face look more severe and strikingly dark like this. “That was the plan,” he started, “but if you have a problem with it—”
“No, no, it’s totally fine,” I assured him. “I kind of didn’t want the night to end yet, anyway.”
He nodded but didn’t reply. Worried about him, I gripped his arm. “Hey, I thought it was awesome that you said they could have a drink.”
He glanced at me, only to sigh. “I should set more limits with people, though.”
My mouth fell open. “What’re you talking about? You set limits. You made it explicitly clear you didn’t want to be involved in my plans for Topher. You wouldn’t let me wallow in my self-pity for over a week. And tonight, you refused to let any of those spook house ghouls touch me. You do not let people walk over you. You just have a higher threshold than most.”
Reaching up to touch his face, I murmured, “Don’t ever feel bad about being more easygoing than someone else. I think that’s what makes you so amazing and special.”
Staring at me in awe, he murmured, “Really?”
“Most definitely.” Then I paused and tipped my face thoughtfully. “Though it feels strange to call you easygoing because the initial impression you give off is anything but. Which only serves a person with a true treat once they get to know you and learn what you’re really like.” With a smile, I popped up onto my tiptoes and smacked a quick kiss to his cheek. “Never change; I like you just the way you are.” Then I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the front door. “Now hurry up. I’ve never actually been to a slumber party before. I’m kind of excited about it.”
Wick chuckled and followed me inside. But as soon as we entered the apartment, we jerked to a surprised halt in the doorway. Darcy, Izzy, and Charlie had taken over. They’d shoved the coffee table off to a side wall to make a big, open space in the center of the front room, and then they’d stripped all the blankets and pillows from Wick’s bed before tossing them on the floor among a pile of sleeping bags and other pillows they must’ve brought from home.
“Welcome to the dogpile,” Izzy announced, splaying her hands over the area where they planned to sleep. “Where you never know whose knee is going to end up in your face by morning. It’s totally awesome.”
I laughed. “Hold on, I’ll go get some more blankets and pillows from my room.”
“Right on,” Darcy called, tossing me a thumbs-up as she and Charlie worked to rearrange the pile.
