Page 123 of Fake As Puck
About the moment yesterday when West looked at my apartment like it was exactly what he’d been hoping to see.
About the moment when he said I felt like home to him.
About the moment this morning when he kissed my forehead goodbye, and I pretended to be asleep instead of telling him goodbye because it was too hard.
Maybe Tessa’s right. Maybe perfect moments don’t exist.
But maybe that doesn’t matter.
Maybe what matters is being brave enough to take the moments you have and make them count.
Even if you’re not sure how the story ends.
33
I tell myself the trip to LA meant nothing.
Just a visit to see my sister and her kids. A chance to get out of my own head for a few days. Some family time that happened to include Liv because she’s basically part of the family now.
Nothing more than that.
But back in Seattle, everything reminds me of her.
The coffee I make in the morning tastes wrong because I’m not making two cups. The couch in my living room looks too big, too empty. My shower feels impersonal without her shampoo bottles cluttering the ledge.
I keep catching myself looking toward the guest room, expecting to see her emerge with messy hair and an oversized t-shirt, asking if I’ve started the coffee yet.
But the guest room door stays closed, and I’m alone in my too-big house, and I can’t stop thinking about the way she lookedcurled up in her tiny bed, surrounded by plants and candles and everything that makes her happy.
I’m in the middle of a particularly brutal training session, trying to sweat out the memory of her laugh, when my phone rings.
“West, honey!” My mom’s voice fills my earpiece, bright and enthusiastic in the way that usually means she’s about to ask me to do something I don’t want to do.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Are you excited about the wedding?”
I’m trying to catch my breath, wincing with one eye closed. “What wedding?”
“Your cousin’s wedding. In Napa. Next weekend.”
Duh. Right. The wedding. The reason I’m supposedly still fake-dating Liv.
“Yeah, I’m excited.”
“Good. And I finally get to see you and Liv together!”
My stomach drops. “Yeah.”
“Tessa is going on and on about how adorable you two are, so I can’t wait to see it for myself. Oh, honey, I’m so happy to hear that you found someone. I’ve been worried all these years.”
I bite back a retort. Her attitude, along with everyone else’s, is what has me in this situation right now.
“Tessa’s coming with David and the kids.” She’s so excited. “We’re all going to be at the same place at the same time! It’ll be like a family reunion. I really can’t wait, West. We’re taking a ton of pictures.”
I force a laugh. “Yeah, Mom. It’ll be a good time.”
“Are you okay? What are you doing?”
