Page 42 of Raise The Bar
“Yes,” Betty says sluggishly. “He’s going to take her to her sister’s wedding and she’s going to be so beautiful that he’s gonna ask her to marry him and then it’s gonna be a double wedding and everyone will have babies.”
“Oh my god, no one is having babies! You’re smashed!” I cry while Rilla collapses on top of Betty and they dissolve into uncontrollable fits of laughter.
“Knock, knock,” Josh says as he opens our apartment door. He quickly assesses the state of his girlfriend and sister on the couch.
“Hey, Brother!” Rilla yells.
“Hi, Lover!” Betty coos.
“Seriously?” Josh says, turning to me. “It’s only eight o’clock.”
“It’s not my fault!” I’m laughing so hard that my side hurts. “They started without me!”
Josh walks to the couch and Rilla stands to hug him. They’re less than two years apart and even though they bicker constantly, they’re really close. After he lets go of his sister, he looks down at Betty. She’s still lying down, but her arms are extended as she waits for her hug. She looks up at him with complete trust and total adoration.
“How’s my girl?” he asks, sitting down on the edge of the couch. He leans over her and plants a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Wonderful! Everyone I love is in the same room!”
I get Josh his own glass of wine and Rilla fills him in on how much she dislikes her new editor. Josh plays devil’s advocate just to piss her off and I watch them exchange insults back and forth, relieved to no longer be the center of attention.
“The book is great, Rill,” Josh tells her sincerely. “You’re going to edit and polish it and you will be the next George R. R. Martin.”
“I’d rather be the next Sarah J. Maas. But thank you for saying that.”
“You’re welcome. Just promise you won’t forget all of us when you’ve made it big. Remember where you came from.”
“I know, I know. Mom’s vagina, like you.”
Eventually, the wine is gone and we’re ready to call it a night. Betty wraps Rilla and I in a three-way hug and proceeds to tell us how much she loves us. The feeling is reciprocated tenfold.
“Alright, let’s get you to bed, babe.” Josh stifles a yawn as he wraps his arms around his girl.
“Do you think I’ll be sick tomorrow?” Betty asks and Josh and I exchange knowing looks over her head.
“A bit, yeah.”
“But you’ll take care of me,” she says, burying her face in his chest. He runs his hands over her hair and kisses the top of her head.
“Always.”
“If you two don’t stop being so obviously in love in my presence, I’m going to be sick right here and now,” Rilla calls from her place on the couch.
I walk them to the door and say “goodnight.” After they’re gone, I lock the door behind them. I volunteer to take the couch, but Rilla is already curled up in the fetal position, cradling Carol like she’s her new best friend. I grab the extra pillow and blanket from my room and tuck her in.
My curtains are slightly askew as I crawl into bed and the moonlight spills into my room, reflecting off the porcelain unicorn figure on my bedside table. It’s one of several dozen, the others carefully wrapped and tucked away in the bottom of Betty’s closet. My mother started the collection when she was a young girl, and when I was old enough, she let me play with them. I’d carefully take them down from the shelf where she kept them and arrange them on our dining room table. I gave them all names and backstories. My mother officially gifted them to me on my ninth birthday and every year after, she’d buy me a new one.
Of course, Mark thought they were childish and wouldn’t let me display them at his condo. I’m sure Betty would encourage me to set them up here, but the small apartment is crammed enough with both of our belongings. But I did unpack my favorite, Cedric, from the collection. I pick him up now, gingerly running my fingers over the smooth figurine. When I was younger, I’d knocked him over, breaking his horn clean off. I’d sobbed, certain my mother wouldn’t let me play with them anymore. She’d dried my tears and helped me glue his horn back in place. She even said she liked him better that way.
“He’s got character, now,” she’d smiled and all was right with the world again.
I hear Rilla’s snores coming from down the hall. I’m sleepy and warm as I set Cedric back on the table beside me. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun. I try to ignore the nagging fact that it would have been even more fun had Callum been there.
Chapter 24
Callum
On the first day in August
