Page 35 of When We Were Younger

He drops me off with a very chaste kiss on the McKenna's doorstep and a promise to see me again in afew days when the family business shuts down for the holidays. Since then, we've texted, some bordering on flirty, but mostly just keeping up with one another while we go about our lives. I've spent most of my time up here on McKenna Mountain. If you'd asked me a month ago, I would've said I'm sequestering to avoid Stephen, but now, I just have no desire to hang out in town with all the judgy glances and whispers behind hands.

Besides, I'd much rather be up here, enjoying the sauna, the holiday movies, and free cocktails. Even if half the town didn't hate me for leaving and breaking Stephen's heart, I prefer McKenna Mountain.

I'm lying in bed on my stomach with my iPad and my phone propped up on the pillows. I have Georgie on FaceTime on the other screen, and the two of us are scrolling through a bunch of websites, scouring venues for her wedding.

"Would it be totally lame to just do it outside? Maybe out in a park on the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge in the background?" she asks as she sips her white wine. I slam my iPad down and try to contain my squeal.

"Lame? Are you kidding me? It's perfect! Oh my god, Georgie! I don't know why I didn't think of that. An intimate ceremony at sunset in The Presidio. You in a white dress, James in a tux, the sky all orange and gold, pink flowers everywhere! His sisters, The Pussy Posse, and you two." I gush, and she smiles.

"And a plus one for you?" she asks with a smirk.Before I have a chance to refute her, my phone buzzes with a text.

"Oh my god you summoned him, G. He just texted."

James calls from off screen. "At eleven thirty? That's a booty call. You better hang up sweet girl, Dottie's gonna go get her freak on." I throw up a middle finger.

"James, your age is showing. No one says booty call anymore," I say, and they laugh. He pokes his head into view.

"Notice how you fought my choice of words but not the intention behind the message? Boo-tay," he says, accentuating the word with a pop of his lips.

"Shut up, James. Georgie, I'll call you tomorrow."

She blows a kiss to me as I end the call and quickly open up my text messages.

Stephen

Truth or dare, Dorothea?

Truth

Stephen

Ehhhhh. Try again.

“Ehhhhh”? What are you doing, singing a Rihanna song? What does ehhhhh mean?

Stephen

It’s a buzzer sound, duh. As in EHHHHHHH wrong answer.

Since when did truth or dare have right and wrong answers? You gave me two options, and I picked one. I don’t deserve a buzzer sounding off in my ear.

Stephen

Stubborn woman. If I had said dare or dare, you would have fought me on that to. I have something very specific that I want to dare you to do, so please, for the sake of my sanity, just choose dare this time. Truth or dare, Dorothea?

Fine. Dare.

Stephen

Good girl.

Go to the window.

I sit up in bed, practically giving myself a head rush with the force of my exertion. I throw the blankets off me and creep over to the window, peeking through the side of it like a voyeur about to get caught. Stephen is there in the backyard, leaning against an oak tree. The soft light from the patio casts a low, golden glow on his face, just enough to make out his features. I crack the window, and he looks up, smiling wide.

"What are you doing out there?" I whisper shout. He holds up his phone, then brings it to his ear. My phone buzzes in my hand.

"Stephen," I say, still whispering.

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