Page 23 of This Much Is True
Or maybe she’s just the difference.
“This was so sweet of you, Gavin,” Laina says, grinning at me. “And you, too, Luke.”
“Hey, he might’ve requested this stuff, but I’m the one who did the dirty work,” Gavin says. “I even went to town and battled the crowds from the wedding ….” He stops and frowns. “Shit. Sorry.”
Laina shakes her head. “It’s fine. Don’t be sorry.”
Gavin doesn’t look convinced but moves along anyway. “I got you snacks and juice boxes.” He pulls a bundle of cherry-flavored children’s drinks from a bag. “Ta-da!”
“I haven’t had one of these in forever,” she says, taking the package from him. “How did you think of this?”
“That one is all me. You know how you associate people with odd things? Or maybe it’s just me that does it,” Gavin says.
“No, I do it, too,” Laina says.
“Me, too,” I say. “I can’t think of Mallet and not think of that pink bubble gum that he always chewed. He’d stick it under the table before dinner until Mom caught on and about killed him.”
Gavin laughs. “I associate Laina with cherry drinks because that one summer we mixed the hell out of that shit with vodka. Do you guys remember that? We’d get the alcohol, and Laina would get the juice or whatever that stuff actually is.”
She catches my eye, and we exchange a look.How could I forget that summer? Skinny-dipping at the lake. Driving around for hours with her next to me while listening to classic rock. Getting hamburgers from The Wet Whistle and driving out into one of Cotton’s fields to talk until the stars came out.
It was one of the best summers of my life.
“And I brought you guys dinner,” he says, nodding toward the pizza in my hand. “I figured you’d had enough for the day and just wanted to relax.”
I smile at my brother.
“You are the best, Gavin,” Laina says, giving him a quick hug. “Thank you for going out of your way to do all of this.”
“That’s what friends are for,” he says. “Now, I gotta go. In order to keep up this wild ruse, I told Kennedy I was getting ice cream for the sick woman in my house. The little con artist asked for her own pint as payment.” He backs toward the door. “You owe me a pint of ice cream, Lucas.”
I laugh. “I’m sure you’ll swindle more than that out of me.”
“I absolutely will.” He opens the door. “It was great seeing you, Laina. Maybe I’ll see ya around.”
“Maybe.”
Gavin gives us a half wave, half salute and leaves. The door shuts with a thud.
“He’s like a whirlwind,” Laina says, picking up the bags. “I can’t believe you had him do all of this, and he really did it. That was so nice of you guys.”
“I just didn’t want you to wear all my clothes.”
She jabs me in the ribs with her elbow. “I think it means you’re going to let me stay.”
My stomach muscles contract from the look in her eye.
It would be so easy to forget that she’s here because she’s running from her life. If I really wanted to, I could wipe away the fact that she’s a famous singer and that she left me once over that. Without trying, I could fall so hard for this woman that I couldn’t see straight.
But I can’t forget I’m a momentary safe house. I know better than to forget how it killed me when I couldn’t see her again—when her world had engulfed her completely. The shift from being a fixture in her life and a certain part of her future tosimply becoming a boy from her past knocked me sideways. A part of me has never recovered.
I have to guard myself from falling in love with her all over again because I did that once and barely survived. I don’t think I could do it again.
Laina holds the bags at her sides and yawns. “I don’t know how I’m still tired after that nap.”
“Let’s take all this upstairs so you can get a shower later if you want.”
“Okay.”
