Page 17 of Resilience

CHAPTER FIVE

As Sam pulled his truck up to the cabin, he saw Hunter’s Honda and was actually relieved. Now Athena was paired off, and maybe Lark would chill out.

They’d argued most of the drive into town. He’d been fucking pissed, and fucking tired of constantly having to defend himself for having a fucking best friend, and defend Athena for being that friend, and manage Lark’s insecurities because of their friendship.

Lark insisted that she’d simply forgotten to include Athena on the cake, but he didn’t believe that for a second. She knew it was a joint birthday party, and when she’d asked if there was anything she could do to help, he’d suggested she could bring the cake. He’d done it so she’d feel more involved—and he’d been clear that it was supposed to be a joint cake for their joint party.

He didn’t give a fuck about cake. He gave a whole field of fucks about Lark being shitty to Athena.

At least now Athena had a cake of her own. It was a much smaller, round, ready-made cake, but the frosting was yellow, her favorite color, and the actual cake was marble with custard filling, also her favorite. He’d asked the guy working the bakery counter to fancy it up and write Happy Birthday, Athena on it. Athena loved astronomy, so he’d had the idea to draw some of the constellations they’d gazed at last night for the decoration, even though the cake was the color of the sun. He’d had to show the guy the constellations on his phone, but then the guy had run with it, doing an airbrush kind of thing on the top, to make it look like a sparkling night sky, and then he’d done a great job drawing the constellations in glittery icing.

Lark had stood there with her arms crossed, glaring at the doughnut case, the entire time.

The ride back had been utterly silent.

But now they were back, and Hunter was here, so Athena would be focused on him, and Lark could see with her own two eyes, for about the fiftieth time, that she wasn’t a threat. And maybe this whole birthday weekend wouldn’t be fucked.

Sam parked alongside Lark’s little Miata. Then he sat back and stared at the steering wheel. They had to get to a decent place between them before they went inside. As it was, he’d struggle to act like he was in a good mood, and in a few hours about two dozen people would descend on the cabin, looking to party.

“Can we get past this and be good?” he asked quietly, still staring at the steering wheel.

A sad little laugh came from Lark’s side of the cab. “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

Sam sighed and looked over. “I don’t know how to make you believe me that Athena isn’t in our way. I don’t know how to make you see she’s not a threat to you, babe.”

Lark answered while staring at her hands in her lap. “And I don’t know how to make you see that she is. You pick her over me every time there’s a choice. If she texts and says she needs you—even if it’s not important—you jump.” She finally turned to look at Sam. “You never tell her no, but you tell me no all the time.”

“That’s not true. I only go when it’s important.” Yes, he had bailed on Lark to help Athena out a few times, but only for something urgent. The last time, Athena’s Fiat had broken down on the side of fucking I-44, and she wasn’t able to get hold of either of her parents. She didn’t speak, and not that many people knew ASL. She used her notes app and read lips to communicate with strangers when she didn’t have anyone to interpret for her, but there were a lot of reasons that wasn’t ideal. There weren’t many options for help that could really help. Also, she’d been freaking out; he’d been able to tell by the tone of her texts. Athena was pretty tough for such a little chick, but sitting on the side of a busy interstate, her tiny car shaking suddenly around her every time a truck she couldn’t hear coming went by, had had her freaked.

“She’s deaf, Lark. Sometimes she does need help.”

Lark scoffed at that. “You love her. I actually believe you honestly don’t see it, but it’s true. You love her.”

Jesus Christ. How many times were they going to have the same fight? “Of course I love her. She’s been my best friend since before I knew what the word ‘friend’ means. I love a lot of people, and none of them is your competition.”

“Do you love me?”

And there it was. Sam turned back to look out the windshield and the trees beyond. A squirrel, its cheeks packed full with nuts, ran to a tree and scurried up, disappearing into a hole to stash his haul for the coming winter.

“Sammy?” Lark whispered. The name he disliked shook as it left her mouth.

“I care about you. A lot.” He kept his eyes on the trees.

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