Page 179 of Till Summer Do Us Part
“Because you messed up?”
I shake my head. “No, because she needs to know that she’s worth another human’s time. She needs to realize that she’s not forgettable.”
Mika nods his head. “And you think you can do that?”
“I know I can.”
I just need to visit someone to help me out.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
SCOTTIE
Denise: You seriously not coming out tonight?
I stare down at the text from my friend and sigh as I stand in front of the window AC unit of my apartment, trying to get over the city’s summer heat.
Scottie: No. It’s hot, muggy, and I just want to stay home.
Denise: You can’t hide forever, Scottie. I know I told you we didn’t have to talk about it in the car yesterday, but I feel like going out to the bar, having a few drinks, and just discussing things to get them off your chest would be a really good idea.
Scottie: Really, I’m fine.
Denise: You didn’t seem fine in the car.
Scottie: Trust me, I am. No need to worry about me.
Denise: I’m worried.
I shake my head and set my phone down, because I’m not in the mood. I spent all day cleaning my apartment from top to bottom, making sure I scrubbed every last inch. I did this to keep my mind off things, off the camp, off my last conversation withWilder. And it worked up until I had nothing else to clean. So then I cleaned myself.
And once again, I scrubbed every inch, even took an old toothbrush filled with soap between my toes. That was a new experience.
So now I rival the cleanliness of a bleach-scrubbed wall, which feels great, but because it’s so muggy in the city today, it’s ruining the vibes.
Knock. Knock.
I glance behind me at my door and roll my eyes.
Denise.
God. I love her as a friend, but seriously, when she has her mind set on something, she does not let it go. Should have known she was going to come over.
I peel myself away from the AC unit, head over to the door, unlock it, and open it.
“Denise, I?—”
I stop midsentence as a pair of steely gray eyes meet mine.
“Wilder,” I say, feeling incredibly surprised. For one, I didn’t expect to see him this soon, and two, I didn’t know he knew where I lived. Also…he didn’t buzz into the building. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s fucking hot out today, isn’t it?” he asks as a greeting.
“Uh, yeah. It is.” I grip the door tightly. “Um, again, what are you doing here?”
“Good to see you too, Pips.” He folds his arms and leans against the doorframe. “I was coming to see if you want to go to the movies with me. It’s hot as hell, and I have the perfect place that has salty popcorn and sweet Icees.”
“You want to go to the movies?” I ask, feeling all sorts of confused.
