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I love his hands and his lips and his dumb secret tattoo. I love the way he says, “us” and the way that he looks at me. Somehow it’s the same as it always was with a new shiny aww glossing over his eyes.
I don’t answer Levi. But then, I don’t think he was asking a question.
“I’m taking Meredith away for the weekend. You and Owen should come.”
“Wait. What? Really?” My stupor is temporarily awakened with his invitation. Did Levi Bailey just invite me somewhere?
“Yeah.” He gives a small one-shoulder shrug. “Mer would love it. And I’m sort of all about making her happy.”
My turn to smirk. “I’ve noticed. You’ve gone soft, Levi.”
“Don’t ruin things, Annie. We were just starting to become friends.”
Ifiddle with the pen in my hand, sitting at my desk, staring at my phone, opened and on speaker. “But we don’t have to go,” I say after a super speedy explanation of where Levi’s invited us.
Peaceful Valley—a small town in Washington that turns itself into a Christmas village this time of year. Only six hours away with the weekend forecasting good weather.
“I thought you already accepted,” Owen says.
“I did, but I was totally thrown off by Levi treating me like a real live human being.”
Owen chuckles, and the sound eases my nerves a bit.
“It’s your fault he hated me all those years, you know.”
“My girlfriend, ladies and gentlemen,” he says, “isn’t she the sweetest?”
And then I choke—on nothing but the spit in my mouth.Girlfriend. Did Owen Bailey just refer to me as his… girlfriend?
“Hey,” he says after another ten seconds of me hacking. “Do I need to send in the troops? I can come save you.”
“No.” I wheeze. “Just swallowed my pineapple wrong.” Pineapple? I haven’t eaten pineapple since August.
“Well, I love the idea—that is, if you really want to go.”
“I—” I draw out the word.
“How about I ask Annie, and we follow her advice?”
Oh Owen, will you forever be wonderful? Things are destined to go downhill, right? It’s the natural progression of Annie Archer’s love life.
“Sure,” I tell him through another cough.
“Oof, here comes fifth period. Drink some water, okay, Archer? No more pineapple for you.”
53
Owen
Coco sits at my desk chair, no Lula or Alice to distract her. “This sounds serious. A weekend away? I mean, that’s something, Owen.”
“Well—” I turn from my dresser to my closet, packing up a bag for my trip come morning. “Itisserious. This is the real deal. And having Annie for a girlfriend is honestly everything I thought it would be. I love her.”
Coco’s eyes narrow, and I turn away from them. Nothing good can come from eyes that look like that. “Are you sure that–”
“That what?”
“That she feels the same? I know that you love her, Owen. I don’t doubt that. But are you sure about her feelings?”
