Page 96 of Love Off-Limits
She punched me back like only a little sister could. “Yours will too. Unless you just had your time, and you blew it,” she added soberly.
I picked up a couch pillow and tossed it at her head, then grabbed a second, ready to do it again.
She squealed and ducked behind her hands. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”
Instead of tossing the pillow, I leaned over and pelted her with it, laughing as she grabbed the first pillow missile and finally started to fight back. I grabbed it out of her hands and stood up, holding both pillows over my head out of her reach.
“You and your stupid long arms.” She jumped onto the couch and reached for them but lost her balance and landed back on the sofa with a thwump. I dropped down next to her and we both laughed. It felt good to laugh. To feel something besides loneliness for a minute, no matter how brief.
“I’m glad you’re here, Darcy,” I said.
“I generally have that effect on people.”
“For everyone but... what’s his name? Carson?”
She frowned. “Cameron. And I’d rather younotmention his name around me. It makes the air smell like pig farts.”
“And you’re well acquainted with the smell of pig farts?”
“It makes the air smell like what I imagine pig farts smell like.” She looked at me. “It’s bad, right?”
“Horrible. The absolute worst,” I confirmed. “I gotta admit, I kinda want to meet the guy whose very name changes the chemical composition of the air. That feels like a superpower.”
She scoffed. “His only superpower is to annoy me, I promise you.” She yawned for the second time in as many minutes. “Okay. You have to go to bed now so I can go to bed,” she said. “I’m turning into an old lady, and I need to be sleeping by midnight.”
“Don’t fool yourself, kid. You’ve been an old lady since you were fifteen. Arranging flowers, reading history books, going to bed by ten p.m.”
She grinned. “You make me sound sofabulous.”
I rolled my eyes and left her to her couch. “Night, Darcy.”
***
We had dinner with the Ethans the following night. Short Ethan had been a fan ofRandom Iand had been blown away to learn that I’d been the man behind the camera for so many years. When I’d offered to introduce him to Isaac, he’d jumped at the chance.
“It’s no wonder you’re so brilliant,” he said to me over dessert, after Isaac had entertained us through all of dinner with stories of our most adventurous filming endeavors. “You’ve done it all.”
I nodded. “There were some pretty wild rides.”
Isaac smiled and raised his glass. “It’s not going to be the same without you, but here’s to new adventures.”
“I’ll second that,” Tall Ethan said.
“And to kismet,” Short Ethan said. “To happy fate. It’s always been one of my favorite words, and I’m positive it’s what brought Tyler to us.”
I lifted my own glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
On the walk home, Rosie fell back from Isaac and looped her arm through mine. “You can ask me if you want,” she said. “I know you’re trying to be strong for the others, but... I see it on your face, Tyler. I can tell you want to ask.”
“I do want to ask. But I’m not sure I want you to answer.”
“Why is that?”
“Because what if you tell me she’s doing great? That she—” I sighed. “I’m afraid you’ll tell me this was all one-sided and she’s moving on.”
“It definitely wasn’t one-sided.”
I slowed my step. “Have you seen her?”
