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I bite back my laughter. “That sucks.” Sounds like Caroline takes after her dad. I keep that to myself, though. I don’t like to talk trash about her friends’ parents if I can help it. “Did you hang out with any of the other kids?”
She rattles more names than I can keep track of. At least it sounds like overall she had fun.
“Is Dex coming over?” Libby asks.
“Uh, maybe. He said he might swing by for dinner.” Damn, I shouldn’t keep making my sister hang out with my boyfriend. “Why? Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah. I have something I want to give him.”
She what?I glance over. “You do?”
“Uh-huh.” She twists in her seat. “It’s in my backpack somewhere.”
“That was nice.” I’m not sure what else to say. A warm, fuzzy sensation slides through my chest.
“Can wepleasehave pizza?” she pleads “Everyone told me New York City is supposed to have the best pizza in the world. But the place they took us to was trash.” From the corner of my eye I catch her exaggerated yuck face. “Too much sauce. Not enough cheese. And I’m pretty sure one of the olives on Caroline’s slice was actually a roach.”
“Ewww.” I gag and laugh at the same time. “I’ve had amazing pizza there, so it’s not all bad.”
“If you say so.”
“Besides the lackluster pizza and Caroline horning in on your friendship with Troy, did you have fun?”
“Yeah,” she answers slowly. “But I wasn’t all ‘oh my gosh,’” She waves her hands in the air wildly. “‘Greatest place in the world!’ It was loud, smelly, dirty, and rats were just chillin’ in the subway like no big deal. When have youeverseen a rat around here?”
“Uh, never. Mice, yes. But no rats.”
“And people were just acting like rats are normal. I mean, has no one read about the bubonic plague?”
I sputter with laughter. “So you’re telling me you want to stay a country girl?”
She slants a look my way. “We don’t exactly live out in thecountry. Johnsonville is sucky, though. And Empire is kinda boring.”
“You have plenty of time to figure things out, Libby.” I’m happy but also almost jealous of all the opportunities ahead of her. I want to make sure she’s able to go anywhere and do anything she wants.
Even though that was really never an option for me.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
Dex
Why doesit always feel so good to park my bike in Emily’s driveway?
An engine rumbles behind me. I get off the bike and take off my helmet. A tiny white sedan stops at the curb and a tall, gangly guy jumps out of the driver’s side. A little triangle on top of the car advertises the local pizza place. I hurry over the lawn to meet him, hoping Emily didn’t use a credit card when she ordered.
“Is that for Walker?” I ask.
He must not have heard me coming. The guy jumps, jostling the boxes in his hands.
“Jesus, dude. Warn a guy, would ya?”
He’s just a kid.Can’t be more than twenty-one, twenty-two.Don’t punch him.
I lift my chin at the stack of boxes in his hand and shoot an impatient glare. “Walker?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s for Emily.” He glances at the house, then takes a longer look at me. His gaze slides over my cut, then skips to my bike. He swallows hard, like a cartoon character. “Y-you live here? With Emily?”
Poor kid sounds heartbroken.
