Page 24 of Wish For Me

“What’s wrong? What just happened?”

“Dizzy,” she says, shaking her head to clear it. “I’m fine.”

“Let’s go sit down.” All thoughts of Levi and his judgment are long gone now. “I told you that you’ve been working too hard.”

“I’m fine,” she says again, but I know Alex. The only time she seems anything besides for perfectly healthy is when her insomnia is flaring up and she’s not sleeping. Her getting dizzy is a sure sign that the stress of the party and the holidays and fixing the dress is catching up to her.

“Will you get her some food?” I ask Karen, already leading Alex over to the bonfire. Getting her fed and warm is my first priority. And tonight, when this party is over, I’m going to lock that fucking dress in the closet to keep her from fiddling with it anymore.

Her parents split up, her dad going for some cocoa while her mom gets food, and I settle us both in one of the chairs around the fire.

“I really am fine,” she says, but she leans her head back against my chest.

“You’re exhausted.” A shot of guilt goes through me. Maybe Levi’s insinuation was right—maybe I’m not doing enough to take care of her, to keep her rested.

“Don’t even go there,” she says. “I know exactly what you’re thinking right now, and you need to stop.”

“No dress tonight,” I tell her. “Promise me, Alex.”

She nods. “A good night’s sleep sounds heavenly.”

“I don’t think you should drink, either.”

She turns in my lap, bringing her mitten-clad hands up to cup my cheeks. “You’re pretty cute when you’re being all protective.” Her expression turns sad. “I’m sorry about my dad.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I say firmly.

“It just kills me that he hasn’t gotten over it yet,” she says, chewing on her lip, and I feel a flash of anger at Levi so strong I see red. How does he not see that he’s hurting her, too, when he acts like this?

“I can handle your dad,” I tell her, forcing the anger down so I can focus only on her. She doesn’t look very convinced, so I nudge her chin. “But I hope you don’t mind that I plan to save at least a third of my snowballs to ream him with later.”

She laughs at that, the sound of her perfect, tinkling laughter enough to make me forget all about Levi and the stress of the party and her exhaustion. So long as I can make my girl laugh like that, what else really matters?

FIVE

VEGA

We’re about two hours into my sister’s bachelorette party and I’m having a freaking blast. I’ve been ice skating, eaten my weight in fried foods and sugar, played about a dozen carnival games, had a kick ass dance-off in a bouncy princess castle with my future-brother-in-law, and beat my dad and Uncle Cash in a sled race. The grounds around our family’s vacation property look amazing, all decked out in fairy lights under the starry sky. There’s music playing under the sounds of laughter and yells of excitement, and pretty much every person I care about is right here.

It’s basically a perfect night. Or at least, it would be, if my cousin Violet wasn’t currently in the middle of the most ridiculous drunken melt-down.

“This is a disaster!” Violet attempts to whisper into my ear—which basically just means she’s half-screaming in a hissing sort of voice.

“It’s not a disaster.” I rub at my ear and take a step away from her, but she grabs my arm. Girl gets clingy when she’s drunk, and her nails are sharp. “Vi, You need to chill.”

“Vega!” she cries, even louder than before. “I amdrunk!”

“No shit,” Cade mutters from my other side, but Violet is too worked up to hear him.

“I’m drunk and my mother isright over there,” my cousin continues. “She’s going to see me! She’s going to know!”

“Vi.” Cade’s tone is patient. “Do you honestly think your mother has no idea that you drink at school sometimes?”

Violet’s mouth drops open. “I’munderage.”

I snort out a laugh at that. This girl. “You realize who our parents are, right?” I ask her. “Your dad dropped out of high school to go on tour with a rock band. Pretty sure he had a couple beers before he turned twenty-one.”

But Violet continues to shake her head. “It’s different.”