Page 52 of Run
I laugh as I think about Fonz’s family. “I should stop over and see them.”
“Oh my God, the twins would love that. And Miss Vida would faint—andshe’d bake something really freaking delicious.”
“Oh man, I would kill for one of those double-chocolate brownies.”
“So good!” Fonz closes his eyes as he takes a sip of beer.
“Ari always loved those, too.”
All the air is sucked out of the room. Her name just rolled right off my tongue, and several years’ worth of unsettled emotions barrel into me as if I’ve just hit the brakes on a snow-covered highway, but it’s too late—my mind is fishtailing and heart fluttering as adrenaline courses through my veins.
Fonz feels the change in atmosphere because he isn’t stupid. He’s also eerily still.
Fuck it. I’m dying to ask. “How is she these days?”
“Uh,” he says, reaching for his glass and taking a long sip.“Good. She’s good. I mean, as far as I know. Haven’t really seen too much of her lately.”
“Oh, really? I thought you guys were still pretty tight.”
“We are. But sometimes we just get busy, you know.” I find it weird he’s not looking at me and acting all cagey. “Maybe you should call her?”
I whip my head toward Fonz. “What? Why would I do that?”
“It’s not like you guys had some big falling out or anything. You just kind of went in different directions.”
I shake my head and down the rest of my beer. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“Enlighten me.”
“We were bad for each other.”
“You were best friends.”
“Sometimes friends aren’t always good for each other.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I don’t know.” My head drops down until it’s resting on the bar. “All I know is those were dark times, and also some of the best times of my life. And I miss them. I miss her and I miss all three of us, and I’m also terrified of stirring anything up.” I lift my head and look at Fonz. “I just don’t want to cause Ari any trouble. If she’s in a good place—and you said she was getting there—then I don’t want to stand in the way of that, especially if seeing me is going to dredge up her dark past.”
Fonz just looks down at his fingers as he twists a napkin in them.
“Last time we talked about her you said she was good. Is that still the case?”
He pauses, then nods. “Yeah. Yeah, she’s good.”
“OK.” I let out a breath. “Then I’ll just leave her alone.”
CHAPTER 18
ARI
“Wow, you really are one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met,” DeShawn says, utterly exasperated.
“You’re only figuring that out now?” Fonz pipes up.
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” adds Sophie. “Means she’s a fighter, right?”
“Seriously, can everyone just either shut the hell up or go the hell home?” I spit out as I steady myself between the parallel bars at the rehab facility. “I really don’t need an audience when I fall flat on my face.”
