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58
Camdyn
Two Weeks Later
Words can’t express how much I regret the way things went down with Willow and me. Every morning and night, I shoot her a quick text. On account she hasn’t blocked me, each message shows Read. I’ll not stop trying to atone for how I fucked up.
On graduation day, the entire MacKenzie Clan has taken a few rows in the parking lot at my school. Mom holds out a tie. She reverts to Gaelic to threaten me. “If you don’t put this on, every photo you take today will be with a black eye, me son.”
“Awe, Mom, you do love me.” I affectionately hug her.
“Nan, leave our son alone.” My dad pats my shoulder. “Ye are the smartest nugget I mind, Camdyn. We are proud of you.”
My four-year-old niece, Mia, scampers up to me. Mom pulls her up and gives her the tie, whispering conspiratorially into her ear.
I give them a salute, backing toward the stadium. I’m not about to be played by a little ass girl. Mia hurries after me, clutching the tie.
I squat down, running my hand through her short, curly hair. “What is it, kid?”
“Wear this, Cam. You will be my favorite uncle.”
“What’s your grandma paying you, huh? Boxes of Fruit Loops.”
Her huge, adorable eyes cloud in confusion. “Nan’s paying me uh, a lifetime supply. How much is that?”
“Not as much as a week’s worth,” I grin.
“You will give me a week of Fruit Loops?” Her nose scrunches in amazement. “Wear the tie, and you will be my favorite uncle, and I get Fruit Loops.”
“Nae, I’m your favorite uncle.” Little Brody tosses her into the cloudless sky.
“She has six favorite uncles.” Lachlan folds his arms.
“She has one crazy da,” Leith says, sidestepping Mia’s outstretched arms. “Little Brody can hold ye, wean. Good luck, bràthair, if she tosses up the Fruit Loops she had for breakfast.”
Little Brody deposits Mia into her mother’s arms, who has just strolled up. I loop an arm around Chevelle, hugging her as Mia wriggles out of her arms. The little hag beelines toward Brody’s woman, Justice, and Chevelle quickly follows.
“Bro.” I gesture to the tie and Leith.
“Chevelle does mine. Have Brody help.”
Our eldest brother paws his beard. “The feck I look like knowing how to put on a tie? Justice does that for me.”
Lachlan backs away. “I’m never graduating if I’ve to wear that shit.”
I laugh at them. My eyes flicker over to Jamie. Pulling his hair into a ponytail, he begrudgingly steps up. “I’ll help.”
My brother has said all of three words to me since the night he aided me in imploding my perfect world. I’d hauled him outside to help Amir and me clear out the rest of the stragglers, twisted ankle and all. I needed to keep him away from Willow, but she left. “You gonna try to strangle me, bro?”
A ghost smile forms on his lips. “Clan’s around.”
* * *
Around the side of the stadium, my classmates are lined up. For the past few weeks, I’ve searched high and low for Willow, though I already knew she wasn’t at school. The only dumbass seniors who attended the last few weeks had to recoup credits. Besides, since she hasn’t blocked me, I can slide out my cellphone and glimpse her location any time. I stood at the farthest part of Inglewood Cemetery when her mom was laid to rest.
I shove into my graduation gown and seek out Willow. I nod my chin to Amir, who’s running over to his older brother to pass him a floral graduation lei. “Congrats, Cam.”
“You ready to rule this school next year, bro?”
