Page 40 of More Trouble
“I, um. No. We didn’t.”
“She wouldn’t let me, it’s a shame.” Andre’s voice floated in from the corridor. “And you should know I can hear everything.”
“Then you should stop listening, before you hear something you don’t want to!” I called out to him.
Struggling to get the hoodie over her head, Scarlett flapped around for a moment until I went to help her. When her face popped through the hole, she was frowning.
“What’s the matter? Where does it hurt?”
She placed a hand over her heart. “Here.”
“Oh, Scarlett.” I tried to wrap my arms around her, but she pushed me away.
“Andre, get in here,” she called.
He walked back into the room and my breath hitched. I’d never tire of seeing him.
“I’m kinda frustrated with you both,” Scarlett announced.
“Me? Why?” We said the same thing almost simultaneously. It would’ve been comical if we weren’t so pathetic.
“Have you both learned nothing from Wes’ death? Let some good come from this. Let his loss mean something. Let it bring you back together. You both want it. You’re both scared of it. Andre, that it won’t happen. Willa, that it will.” Scarlett shook her head. “Life is precious. Every moment we have is a gift. Stop wasting time and putting off anything because you think you have time. You don’t. None of us do.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I had a lot of time to think overnight. Wes taught us this. Make him proud and fix this.” She waved a hand between the two of us, as if trying to weave a spell.
My eyes filled with tears.
She was right. Scarlett was always right.
I risked a sideways glance at Andre, who blinked rapidly with his mouth almost flapping open in shock.
He reached out and took my hand in his. “Willa, I meant what I said. We’ve got the next two weeks to work on us. I screwed up, I know I did. I was young and dumb, but I’ve been paying for it ever since.”
Involuntarily, I squeezed his hand harder and encouraged him to continue.
“Whether we’re together or not, it will always be you. There’s a hole in me only you can fill; a void in my life that only you fill. Please give me a chance to make this right.” His eyelids fluttered again. “We’ll move as slowly as you want. I just want us moving in the right direction. Together.”
I shook my head and bit my lip to stop from crying. “You always sucked at words,” I murmured.
“Is that a no?” he asked. Panic flashed wild in his eyes.
I shook my head again. “No. It’s always been you too. Everyone knows that. Even if I was too blind to see it most of the time.”
“Let me love you, Willa,” he begged.
“Love me right.” I cocked my head to one side. “Or I’ll be asking Lyla for tips on how to slap you.”
Scarlett let out a giggle and clapped her hands. I’d been so wrapped up in Andre’s words, I’d almost forgotten she was there.
Andre twisted me towards him and pressed his lips to mine. “I’ll love you the best I can, for as long as I have breath, Willa. We’re working on forever together.”
He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.
We had two weeks to work things out.
I already knew it was hard to live without him.
So, for now, I was going to live and love in the moment.
