Page 95 of Why Not Now?

“Why are you going to fix it?” Gina asks. “Did you mess it up?”

I glance down at my hands, holding them together because I feel the urge to push up glasses I’m not wearing. If I do that, my family will absolutely call me out on it.

“I think we both did.” I nod as though confirming with myself. “But I’m not going to let us go another eight and a half years before we find each other again. We’re going to fix this.”

“How?”

I turn to my mother. She asks a very good question. One I’ve been asking myself over and over for the past day and a half. I keep thinking of all the things I can do to show her I love her, to show her I just want to be there for her. But that’s exactly why she was pissed at me in the first place. Because I did things for her. So what can I do?

“I don’t know yet.”

My phone rings and when I see who’s calling, I step into the kitchen to answer it. “Hey, Ace. What’s up?”

“Derek?” She sniffles and I’m instantly on alert. She’s been crying.

“Lacey, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Is Ava okay?”

“Ava’s fine. I’m sorry. You’re probably busy, aren’t you? It’s the weekend before Christmas. Of course you’re busy.”

“Don’t worry about that. What’s wrong, Lacey?”

“I went out with Todd,” she says, sounding so miserable I want to punch that creep in the face.

“Did that little fucker do something to you?” I’m already marching through the house, grabbing my jacket. My family is looking at me with concern, but I ignore them all.

“No. Yes. Kind of.”

“Did he hurt you, Lacey?”

I take the stairs two at a time until I’m in the foyer and stepping into my shoes.

“He didn’t hurt me. He just—” she cuts off in a sob and my heart wrenches out of my chest. “He left me here. I’m alone and cold and I don’t know what to do.”

“Where? I’m coming right now, Lacey. Where are you?”

“I’m in Queen Elizabeth Park.” She sniffles again. “I can walk home, Derek. It’s okay. It’s not really that far.”

“No. I’ll be there in five minutes. Stay put. I’ll call you back when I get there, all right?”

After I hang up, I drive faster than I should to the park and pull over, calling her back. I don’t need to, hanging up before it connects, because she sees the car and comes toward me. I get out, noting she’s not wearing a jacket.

“Where the fuck is your coat?” I ask, taking mine off and wrapping it around her.

“I took it off in his car.” Tears stream down her cheeks as she huddles in my jacket. “He told me to get out, and it was in the backseat with my purse. He drove off before I could get them. I had my phone in my pocket.”

“Good. Get in. Where does that little prick live?”

“You’re not going to fight him, are you?” she asks, going pale.

“Fight a sixteen-year-old boy? He’s not worth my fucking time. Or yours, Lacey.” I open the door for her. “I’m getting your coat and purse back.”

She slides in and I close the door softer than I want to. I want to slam it, but I’m not angry at Lacey. I’m pissed at this kid, Todd, who thinks it’s okay to leave a girl stranded in December with no coat. And, if she’d kept her phone in her purse, no way for her to call for help.

When I get in the driver’s side, I look at Lacey expectantly, waiting for the address. She tells me and I know the street, so I drive there and park in front of the house, marching up to the door and knocking hard enough to release some of my anger.

A woman answers and blinks at me in question.

“Is Todd home?” I ask.

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