Page 95 of This I Promise You
“Yeah. Bye, Paul. It was really good of you to come.” Dani drops her gaze and wipes at her face. I grab her shoulder and pull her into me. This time, she clings on for dear life.
“Thanks for coming. Thanks for trying,” Jace says. Looking everywhere else except at me.
“You’re family. You don’t have to thank me.” After Dani releases me, I hug Jace tight. He sniffs and I pull away to address Felix. I kneel down so he’s above me. “Hey, buddy. Maybe we could talk Jacey Poo into making a trip over to North Carolina to visit, huh? You can come too, Dani. I’d love to have you all there.”
“I’m actually going to be spending the summer with Trevor. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” And I stand and hug her again. “That’ll be good for you.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Felix’s face lights up like a Christmas tree while he jumps around. He turns from me to Jace. “Oh please, Jace! Can we?”
“Once school is out and after Dani leaves, you betcha.” He looks at the window where Huxley is standing, pretending not to watch.
“Maybe for Pride?” I offer. “Would be cool to take my baby brother to his first Pride.”
“What’s Pride?” Felix’s face scrunches up and I chuckle.
“We’ll talk about that later, but I think that’s a great idea. I’ll work out the details with Huxley,” Jace says. Though that last part is unnecessary. Why can’t he work them out withme?
I shake my head, but I’m smiling. Apparently smiling is my new thing. Good thing for braces and whitening strips. “I cannot even believe you two. Youhadto move in on my best friend?” I punch his shoulder playfully.
He shrugs, his face flush. “When ya know, ya know. Ya know?”
“I hate you.”
“Love you too, brother.”
“Yeah, whatever. Love you, man.” I ruffle Felix’s hair. He hates it. It’s funny. “Take care of yourself.”
“You too. Bye, Paul,” Jace says.
“Bye. Love you,” Dani says.
“Bye, Paulie,” Felix says.
“Bye. Love y’all,” I say. I turn and make the hardest walk of my life.
Paulie. Huh…it sounds nice coming from Felix.
Easton
Does That Change Anything?
PAUL: g’morning
PAUL: no, you’re not going to fucking ghost me, easton. i won’t accept that, you incomprehensible fucking fucktrumpet bastard. that’s not how our story ends!
PAUL: i’m sorry for calling you names
PAUL: you’re everyfuckingthing to me, easton! EVERYTHING. you light the world just by your very existence. and i…i need you
PAUL: babe, please talk to me
His texts are killing me. He won’t stop. I need him to just stop. I need him to give up. He thinks I’m someone worth being with, but I’m not, and he’ll be better off when he realizes that.
“Him again?” Aidan asks.
“What gave it away?” I huff and let my hand and phone flop dramatically to my bed.
