The door clicks softly behind him, and I sit there for a moment, taking a couple slow breaths, trying to steady myself. Then I lean back against the headboard, staring down at the envelope in my hands for a long second before finally sliding my finger under the flap. I pull the little card out. There’s a drawing of a bunny with a party hat, that I think my mother drew.
I huff a quiet laugh at that before flipping the card around.
A small, watery laugh escapes me.
Tears slip quietly down my cheeks.
My breath catches completely now.
My eyes snag on his name.
My heart actually stops. I stare at the words. I don’t even remember reading that back then. I probably thought she was joking.
My eyes squeeze shut and a shaky breath leaves me as I scrub at my cheeks.
God, I miss her. Right now, more than anything, I just want to hug her. And she’d know what to do. Moms always do.
I can’t even think straight right now. Too much has happened tonight. I just need to sleep. Tomorrow is Saturday. No school. No work. Tomorrow I can figure things out.
I reach for my phone to set an alarm, but a reminder pops up on the lock screen.
Surf lessons w/ Bailey — pick her up @ 8:30
I blink at it. “Oh, shit.”
47
RYAN
“I need to tell you guys something.”
It’s eight thirty when I drag myself into the kitchen, hair still a mess, ribs still piercing sharp, and my face still looking like shit.
Mom isn’t home. Her car’s gone from the driveway, which probably means she has an early shift. And Bailey hasn’t come downstairs yet either.
I make a sandwich out of pure habit, stare at it for a solid minute, take one bite… and give up. My stomach’s still twisted into knots and food doesn’t stand a fucking chance. Maybe coffee will be better.
I drag the hood from my hoodie onto my hair and walk over to the espresso machine, but then the doorbell rings. That doorbell is way too loud for a Saturday morning.
I frown, pushing the hood back a little.
Who the hell is here this early?
Bailey’s voice echoes from upstairs. “I can’t get it! I’m still in my towel!”
“Didn’t ask you to,” I mutter, rubbing my eyes as I walk over to the door. I pull the door open and everything in me stutters to a stop. Maddy is standing there.
Her hair is tied up in a ponytail, bikini under her wetsuit, which is half pulled off and tied against her hip. She has faint shadows under her eyes, like she didn't sleep much either. My throat goes dry.
“Hey,” she says, voice small but steady.
It takes me a second too long to respond. “…Hey.”
She shifts her weight, arms folding around herself. “I, uh… promised Bailey I’d take her surfing today,” she says quietly. “And I figured I should still keep my promise.”
It takes me a moment to catch up. Oh, yeah. They talked about that at dinner. It’s nice of her to still come. But I have to admit, I kind of hoped she was here for a different reason.
“Oh, yeah. Yeah, that’s nice.” I clear my throat, stepping back from the doorway. “Let me get her.”