Page 92 of This I Promise You
PAUL: free this evening?
LILY: 10pm. After close.
PAUL: bet
* * *
Oh my holyshit,I’m so nervous. Jace is one thing, but DaniandFelix. Gah, I’ve been such an awful brother to them. This is my chance, though, to make it up to them and create a relationship void of the monsters that are our parents.
Here goes everything.
I knock on the door.
“Maybe it’s too early for dinner. Maybe we should have waited.” I’m freaking out. Literally freaking the fuck out.
Huxley’s beside me, on her phone, completely unbothered and obviously not paying attention to me being on the verge of a meltdown.
We hung out at the hotel lobby for an hour so Huxley could “freshen up” in the bathroom under the guise of wanting to give Jace enough time to pick up the kids, and then took an Uber here. I’ve almost thought I was going to vomit three, no, seven times. Well, I guess now eight.
“Paul, you’re freaking out. It’ll befine.”
“Oh fuck me. Fuckme.”
Jace opens the door and Huxley sings, “G’eveniiiiing,” though she’s soon interrupted by a childish screech.
“PAUL! Paul, Paul, Paul!” Felix yells from the living room and runs into my arms the second I cross the threshold. “Paul, you’re here! I missed you so much!”
“Hey there, buddy! I missed you too.” I pick him up in my arms and spin him around. Holy shit he’s gotten big. When did that happen? I mean, he’s eight, so he’s not a baby, but he’s always been small for his age. Now he’s up to my chest. His hair is really curly on top but shaved on the sides and he shares my freckles. “How ya been?”
“Good! My new school is so awesome! I’ve made so many friends, but I only have two best friends. Hayley and Bruno. They’re my favorite people in thewholeworld. Well, except for you and Jace and Dani and Trevor! Oh, and I won first prize on my science experiment. I really like science! Want to see?”
“Hell yeah, dude. Show me.”
“Maybe later, Felix. We gotta get to dinner, remember?” Dani comes up behind him and messes up his hair.
“Oh yeah. Sorry. Later, okay, Paul?”
I smile and mess up his hair again. “Yeah, buddy. Later.” I look up at Dani and holy shit she’s grown up so much too. I’m immediately wary because I know exactly what’s about to happen. I could fight her on this, but instead, I decide on diplomacy. “Hey, Dani.”
“Hey, Paul. It’s good to see you.”
Dani looks like the rest of us, but more…average? Not that there’s anything wrong with that. She just doesn’t look like she cares much about her appearance. It’s kinda refreshing. Her dark hair is up in a high pony that would make Ariana proud. She’s in ripped denim, Converse, and a crop top. “You too, sis. Listen, I’m sorry I—”
“It’s chill, Paulie. Don’t stress it. It’s not your fault Mom and Dad are bitches.”
“Hey! Language!” Jace scolds her, coming out of his bedroom.
“What? They are.”
“Yeah, they’re assholes. But so was I.” I pull her into a hug, and she lets me. “I didn’t know Dad would start drinking again and…do what he did.”
Dani gives me a half-assed hug, then steps back and puts her hands in her back pockets, looking at her feet. “No one knew. It’s fine. Just leave it alone, please.”
Fuck she’s going to need therapy. I’ll have to talk to Jace about that before we leave. Maybe she could do something virtual with Dr. Orleen.
Dani looks back up at me and smiles, then plops herself back on the couch with her Nintendo Switch.
I blink away my shookethness.
