Page 69 of The Art of Us

“Sorry.”

“I know. You said.”

“When Ireland told me you were the lipstick writer, she was freaking out because she worried she’d said the wrong thing when she responded. She hadn’t meant to say it was Rowan who hurt you. She’d spoken in generalities. She just slipped up and said Rowan was a troll. I put it together after that. She didn’t mean to tell me. So even if you decide to keep being mad at me, don’t be mad at her. Please.”

“Hold it. Ireland knows about my writing on the mural? She knows about the lipstick?”

“Yeah, but you know that, right? You have to know that the mural conversation was between you and her, right? I mean, she didn’t know it was you at first. She just figured it out.” With his every word, Kal realized he’d been wrong. Mara hadn’t known. Kal wanted to bang his head against the ground. He had done it again? “You didn’t know,” he said flatly. “Awesome times zero.”

Mara stayed quiet. She wrapped her arms around her legs to ward off the cold.

“Don’t hate her. Don’t hate me. I mean, it’s okay to hate me, but don’t hate her. Ireland legit cares about you.”

“Huh. And you legit care about her, right?”

Kal’s head bobbed in agreement. “I do.”

“Sorry she’s not here.”

“Where is she?”

“Visiting her dad in jail.”

Out of all the things Kal thought Mara might say, that was not anywhere on the list.

“I wanted to go with her, but someone needed to stay home with Jade, and Ireland said she wanted to do it on her own. I didn’t think she should go. It’s not like she owes that guy anything. But she feels like she needs to, so ... anyway ... sorry she’s not here.”

“It’s okay. I came to talk to you. She doesn’t want to talk to me.”

Mara made a sad, sympathetictsk. “Maybe you could write her a letter or something.”

“Already did.” He picked up a loose pebble from off the porch and flicked it so that it skittered down the stairs. “She told me not to write back. So I wrote her a song, but she’ll never hear it. But I guess it’s fine because the band likes it, so we’ll at least get some play out of it.”

“That’s perfect!” Mara jumped to her feet.

“Perfect would be her hearing it, not a crowd at Geppetto’s.”

“I can get her to Geppetto’s.” Mara was practically doing jumping jacks in her excitement.

“How?”

Mara smirked. “She wants me to forgive her as much as you want her to forgive you. I’ll tell her I really feel like pizza.”

“Lots of kids from school will be there. There always are.”

She tilted her head to the side. “What do I care? I can’t stay home forever. Better to get the public viewing done at Geppetto’s instead of at school Monday.”

Kal stood and blew on his hands to try to warm them up. “I appreciate the gesture. Really. But, Mara, I don’t want her to be where she doesn’t want to be. We’re good, okay?”

She nodded and hugged her arms to herself.

“Go inside before we both freeze to death.” He shooed her toward the door and made his way to his car, grateful he had seat heaters. The visit with Mara had been a success. He had been able to apologize, and she had forgiven him. He couldn’t ask for more than that. He wanted to. Of course he wanted to.

But he couldn’t.

He wouldn’t.

Chapter Twenty-three

---