Page 64 of The Double Play

Aware of our audience, I refrain from kissing her anywhere other than the top of her head.

“Anything to make you happy.”

Chapter thirty

Hazel James

“I’magoodperson,right?” Raven asks, scooping up a bite of her frozen yogurt. “And don’t just say yes because you feel sorry for me right now. Be honest.”

I laugh around my spoon. After I’m finished crunching the white chocolate chips in my matcha fro-yo, I answer, “I might be biased even without pity, but I think you’re a good person.”

“See, I think you’re a good person too.” She points her Nutella-covered spoon at me. I smile. “Which means that itcan’tbe karma wrecking our lives.”

I shake my head. “Karma isn’t a thing, Ray.”

“Obviously not, because if it were, then it would be some kind of UNO reverse situation where bad thingsonlyhappen to good people.”

“You’re going to make me choke,” I say around another bite.

“Don’t do that. I can’t handle seeing Mom with her jerk boyfriendandyou dying on the same day. I’d turn to the dark side. It would be my villain origin story.”

My shoulders shake with laughter. “You’re so dramatic.”

“Tell me it’s not warranted after today.”

I sigh. She’s not wrong. After a talk about how no matter what Mom says, none of this is Raven’s fault and she shouldn’t feel sorry for her, we left for the hospital. Emmett watched us pull out of the garage with worry pinching his face. I should have viewed that as a sign to stay home. But no, we showed up to the hospital…only to find our mothermaking outwith her toxic on-again off-again boyfriend, Gerald.

So, in an attempt to salvage our outing, we went and got fro-yo. I didn’t say a word when Raven grabbed the biggest container and piled it high with technicolor candy and an obscene amount of nutella. While I only got strawberries and white chocolate chips, I might have added a little more than usual to cope, too. I’ve long given up on expecting Mom to do anything close to the right thing, but Raven still had that childlike hope that she would change. I think that hope shriveled up today.

Now, we’re sitting in my car, our backs against the doors so we can face each other. Raven’s legs are tucked beneath her while my knees are to my chest.

“You’re too nice to be a villain,” I say instead of addressing her comment. “Except when it’s time for you to wake up, or do math homework, or–you know what, on second thought, maybe you alreadyarea villain.”

She throws a napkin at me. I bat it away, laughing in unison with her. It feels good to hear her laugh. To have some normalcy. Our giggles fade out though, and Raven’s smile fades into something more melancholy.

“I’m going to have to live with Dad now, aren’t I?” She stirs her yogurt, making a soupy slush in the cup.

“That’s not your only option.”

Hope shines in her blue eyes when she looks up. “You mean I can live with you?”

“I talked to Dad earlier today, and he’s willing to fill out all the necessary paperwork. You might have to stay with him on occasion if I have to travel while you’re still in school, but if you’d like, you can live with me.”

She sets her frozen yogurt on the dash and propels herself over the console to wrap her arms around me. “Thank you!”

Tears sting my eyes. “You’re going to get your hair in my yogurt.” My words come out strangled with emotion.

She squeezes me tighter. “You can cry if you want to, it’s okay.”

My vision blurs. I throw my free arm around her. “Don’t say things like that. You’re supposed to be a moody teenager.”

She laughs, but it sounds like she’s tearing up too. “I’m sure I’ll be back to that once we’re roommates.”

Roommates. I wish I could view us that way, but I know that I’m about to take my parental figure role to a whole new level. She’s been deprived of good parents for her whole life. I may only have a few years left of her childhood to make a difference, but I’m going to do my best to help her have good memories to look back on.

She pulls back, laughing as she notices green frozen yogurt clinging to a lock of her hair.

“Sorry for ruining your treat,” she says as she cleans it off with a napkin. Her eyes are wet, but she’s smiling.

---