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I force a smile. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay. You tell me if you change your mind. We’re family. We fight for one another. Whoever it is, it’s his loss. You’re still young. You have your entire life ahead of you. Don’t waste it shedding tears over a loser guy.” He pats me on the back, then turns to ruffle up Hannah’s hair.
“Hey!” Hannah gripes, swatting at Kip’s hand.
“Going to help Mom with the dishes before taking off. You two girls enjoy.” We’re both silent until Kip is out of sight. Hannah is the first to speak.
“I don’t know why you’re protecting him. He doesn’t deserve it.”
“I know. But doing something I know will hurt him won’t make it better. I just want to forget it—forget him.” The tightness around her eyes tells me she wants to say more, but she slowly nods and drops it.
“Fine. How about we finish wrapping these gifts then have my mom make us her famous ice cream sundaes and snuggle up and watch a movie? Levi is working late so you get me all night.”
“I think it sounds like the perfect remedy.”
“Good.” Hannah claps her hands together. “We can watch a bunch of funny chick flicks.”
“As long as it doesn’t have vampires in it, I’m good.”
“Oh no, he suckered you into—never mind. Anti-romance movies it is. Let’s go fill up on sugar.”
The simple word sugar triggers my emotions. A heaviness weighs on my chest and my eyelids fill with tears.
“Oh no, what did I—”
“It’s nothing….” He’s even ruined sugar for me. “Just sugar… it’s a thing—and he—”
“I’m going to murder him!” Hannah tugs me toward the kitchen. “Mom! We need something extremely salty. Pronto!”
Chapter 22
Chase
Hey, you look lovely tonight, spare a moment?
No.
Wow, the best-looking girl in the house, forgive me?
Also no.
Hi, I’m an idiot and don’t deserve you but at least hear me out…
Dammit! Any angle leads to me getting slapped. Which I deserve. Maybe I should just wait outside and grab her when she walks out. Okay, creep. Yeah, bad idea. I just need her to talk to me. I’m going out of my mind without her. The pit in my stomach has grown to the size of a boulder. If I can’t get her to speak to me, I don’t know what else to do. Maybe kidnapping isn’t the worst idea. I’m desperate. So desperate, I have a stupid pair of diamond earrings shoved in my pocket.
I pace my apartment until it’s time to leave, fixing my hair a billion times. I rehearse my “please forgive me, I’m begging you” speech the whole way over to the Matthews’ house. My body is jittery from the nerves. Like I just drank a dozen energy drinks.
“You’re the love of my life. We’re meant to be together. I’ll do anything for you to forgive me.” I slam my palm on the steering wheel. This all sounds so pathetic. But what if she doesn’t forgive me? “Go with the begging.”
I park on the street and grab the giant bouquet of roses.
“Hey, Chase, why do you have flowers for my cousin? Oh, you two hooked up? What was that? You hurt her. Time to die…”
I drop the flowers.
Giving them to her after we make up sounds like a better idea. Grovel first, come clean to Kip, then shower her with all the things Google said to do to make up with an angry girlfriend.
The party is in full effect. The whole Matthews’ crew is in attendance. I sneak through the front door and weave through people in search of her. My first stop, the backyard. I’m halfway across the living room when their aunt catches me.
“Chester, come here.”
Fuck. “Uh…hey, Aunt Getty. And it’s Chase.”
“Whatever. Come here. Let me see you. My William, God rest his soul, used to have muscles like that.”
I don’t have time for this. “You know, I would, but I’m in a hurry. Enjoy the party.” I dodge her grabby hands and head toward the kitchen. Another aunt tries to stop me, but I beeline it through a group of Stacey’s friends.
“Look, it’s the player of the year. Shocked you’re not dead from an STD.”
I ignore the jab from Hillary…or Jill—whatever her name is.
“Hey, Chase. Wanna go grab a beer together?”
I dodge more grabby hands and wave them all off. “Sorry, can’t. I’m a reformed man.” The girl hisses at me, but I keep trekking on. Maybe it was a bad idea to plow through all of Stacey’s friends, but that was the old me. The new me only has eyes for one girl.
Stepping outside, I block the sun and scan the backyard. I catch Ben over by the pool talking with some chick, and Stacey and Kip talking with a neighbor. “Definitely not going that way.” I turn the opposite direction and start toward the drink table. Someone grabs the back of my shoulder, and I shriek like a girl.
