Page 104 of The Casualty of Us
Even with my unwanted company.
“God, you’re going to need Botox by, like, twenty-two with the amount you frown.”
I roll my head to the side, dipping it to peer at Lisette over the top of my sunglasses. “Does it look like I care?”
Cheers to day drinking.
“Not right now.” She laughs haughtily. “But I’ll check back with you in your thirties.”
Bitch.
I scowl at her, lifting my gin and tonic and using it to push my sunglasses back up my nose. “Remind me why you’re here again?”
“Because Graham has a better view from his pool, and I’ve been coming here since we were practically babies.”
Right. Because they’re vacation home neighbors. He neglected to mention that.
In fact, he’d gone to take a nap the first day we got here, and I planted myself out here. Almost falling asleep myself with Talan and Mia playing cards and chattering away in the distance and the sun shining down on me. Right up until Lisette had plopped herself down next to me with a bottle of Dom, and Graham had walked out with a tray of shots, acting like this was entirely normal.
And truthfully, I’d felt so fucking free in that moment that I’d just gone with it. Taking the glass of champagne Lisette had passed over and the shot Graham had next without so much as a question. Proceeding to gloriously puke several hours later as Lisette held my hair and Talan laughed his ass off, taking pictures to tattle with.
I had to promise my mother no more attempts at alcohol poisoning after that.
But the trend continued from there.
Lisette and I sitting outside almost all day and sipping on whatever cocktails she feels like supplying. Exchanging snarky comments with each other as Graham either plays referee or hangs out with whatever guys from school happen to be in town. Something about our natural hostility and bickering weirdly brings a normalcy back to my life more than anything else has yet. So what the fuck am I supposed to do with that?
She’s not wrong about the view too.
The two-story Hamptons-style house made up of gray brick trimmed in pristine white wood is situated in the perfect spot to look out across one of the inlets of Coral Gables. Giving us all the people-watching we could ever need to fill the silence whenever we’re not bickering as the days slide by and bring us closerto returning to school. Plus there’s just something about a girl holding your hair while you puke that bonds you whether you like it or not.
Fuck. Fucking fuck, fuck. I hate it when people make me reassess.
“Are you taking advanced debate this year?”
“Yeah,” I sigh, turning back to the inlet and seeing Graham racing some guy who showed up earlier on the wave runners. “You?”
“After you and Hayes’s crashout last year?” She laughs again. “You bet I am.”
“Rude.” I roll my eyes, adding absentmindedly and ignoring the twist in my chest, “I don’t even know if he’s taking it again.”
“Really?” she scoffs. “Are you seriously trying to sell me that shit?”
I turn back enough to lift my eyes to the ridiculously large white sun hat she’s wearing, which somehow pairs perfectly with her red hair and matching suit. “What shit?”
“That boy would tattoo your name across his forehead if you asked him to.” She pulls a face at me. “So I think it’s safe to assume he’ll take debate again just to see you, and don’t try to act like you don’t know it either.”
I shift a little uncomfortably in the Adirondack-style chair, taking a sip of my drink and looking down to see the checkered cushion sliding against my legs.
Matching the navy two-piece I’m wearing.
Still all on display out here.
“He messed up with Josey.” I shrug, not wanting to touch the topic after my drunken midnight scroll a few nights ago. “I can’t get past that.”
“Oh,please,” she drones dramatically, tossing back. “So what?” And making my head whip back her way just as she lifts her brows. “He was trashed, and you had been stringing himalong for the entire semester because it might make things a little uncomfortable with your brother to actually go there.” She shakes her head at me, hat flopping as my mouth pops open at her speech. “Give the guy a break for fuck’s sake, Fitzroy.”
It takes me a second longer to recover than normal, but I quickly close my mouth, blaming it on the gin and scowling at her. “That’s not the only reason.”
