Page 52 of Here's to Tomorrow

She looks at me with worry. “Please be careful, Rae. That’s all I’m going to say. Well, that and keep an open mind. I know how you can get.”

I nod and get up. “I’m heading to bed. I have a date with our favorite blonde-haired babe tomorrow. Night, Hales.”

“Night, Rae-Rae.”

I make my way into my bedroom and close the door behind me. Taking off my shoes, I throw myself onto the bed with my clothes still on and a smile plastered on my face.

I know Haley is right, that I need to keep an open mind but be cautious. I can’t blame her for being worried.

My feelings…they’re escalating at a rapid rate, and I can’t seem to stop it. Every time I see Hudson, everything clicks. He gives me this weird inner peace I had no idea I was missing. Well, I had an inkling of an idea, but I guess I never knew it was so bad until I found what was missing.

Is it crazy how he makes me feel even though I’ve only known him for less than a month? Yes, that’s just nuts, but I can’t explain it even if I tried. It feels like he…belongs, in my present, my future, my heart…everything. He feelsrightin my world.

My eyes grow heavy with sleep and I’m almost pulled under the blanket of sleep when something runs through my head.

Who’s Joey?

* * *

“So, how’s it going with Tanner?”

Maura sighs. I can’t decide if it was the cheeseburger she just took a bite of or thinking of Tanner that caused it. We’re currently sitting at Vern’s, a local diner with the best root beer floats ever, having cheeseburgers and gossiping.

“He’s amazing,” she says around a mouthful of food.

“Really?” I hate that I’m so skeptical of the guy, he just seems like a total sleazeball.

“Really, really. He’s so damn sweet, Rae. He’s funny and goofy and incredibly hot,” she says, fanning herself. “Like really hot. He has an eight-pack. Like, a legit eight-pack.”

“Of beer? I thought those only came in six- or twelve-packs. Weird.”

She throws a fry at me. “Har, har. Very funny, you brat.” Naturally, I eat the fry she just threw. “I mean it. I know he comes off a just another ‘bro’ but he’s not.”

“You mean that.” It’s not a question, because her tone is serious in a way I wasn’t expecting. She just nods. “Well…good. I’m glad.”

And I am. I was worried the Tanner I’ve seen is the same Tanner she gets when no one is around. I had hoped not, but if I’m being honest, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if he were.

“We have another date this weekend,” she says quietly.

At first, I don’t understand her sudden shyness. Then, it hits me. This weekend is aMaura plays at perfect daughter with her parents in the cityweekend. That means if they have a date this weekend, Tanner’s going to meet the evil parents.

Evil isn’t an exaggeration on my part. Maura’s parents are assholes. The girl didn’t even get lucky enough to have one of them be just a part-time asshole. Instead she has two full-time horrendous parents and one cool as hell aunt that used to have to sneak the poor girl off for a day at the mall, which she needed more than anything. Her parents mentally tear her down, calling her names, questioning and correcting every little thing she does. It’s disgusting. The things they’ve said to her baffle me.

I have no idea how Maura is the way she is—strong, confident, carefree. There’s no way I would’ve been able to put up with those two like she did all those years—or one weekend a month like she does now.

“No. No fucking way.”

She nods. “Way.”

I clear my throat. “Don’t you think that’s…?”

I’m not trying to be a bitch or judge her because I have no room to do that—not when I’m in so deep so quickly with Hudson. I’m just genuinely concerned for her. Her parents are crazy for Cocoa Puffs and they will eat Tanner alive.

“I slept with him, Rae.” She covers her hands with her face, hiding from the words she just spoke.

I laugh. “Ha! Good one. Payback for the eight-pack joke.”

A look of unease spreads on her face and her eyes flit about the diner. That can only mean one of two things: she’s fucking with me, or she’s embarrassed about it—and if she’s embarrassed, she really did sleep with Tanner.

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