Page 33 of The Publicity Stunt
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We didn’t walk home.
“Here y’all go!” The waitress comes back with a tray full of April’s favorites. “One milkshake, two coffees, and a plate of chocolate-chip pancakes.”
Nope. We came to Susie’s instead.
Holly sits next to her sister and I slide a cup of coffee toward her. “April?”
She doesn’t move a single muscle. Her eyes have been glued to the edge of the table since we got here and it’s killing me.
Holly puts her hand around April and she flinches again. Apologizing, she reels it back in.
“I’m an idiot,” she whispers.
“What?” I ask, my voice just as soft as hers.
“I-I am an idiot.” she repeats. “I can’t believe I had sex with that asshole.”
“April.” I reach for her hand but stop short of holding it. I don’t know if she wants me, or anyone for that matter, to touch her right now. Even though every cell in my body wants to be close to her. I curl my fingers back toward in a fist.
“Sis, you’re not an idiot.”
“I am.”
“April, look at me,” I say.
She looks up, entire storms unfurling in her eyes.
And it breaks my heart so hard, I almost hear it.
Fuck it. I promptly get up, slide in next to her, and wrap my arms around her, pulling her against me. “You’re not an idiot. Do you hear me? Not at all.”
She hugs me back and starts to sob into my shoulder.
“You’re the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. And sometimes in life, some assholes treat you badly, but that doesn’t mean it’s your fault. Because there’s a whole other world of people who love and care about you. And those people are right here with you.”
Holly nods, wrapping her arms around April too.
“I feel … I feel so disgusting and I didn’t even do anything—”
“You’re not disgusting, Chere. You’re still you and I’m still me. And that’s pretty fucking perfect.”
She shakes her head.
“I know the world gets too much at times.” I brush a few strands of her hair away. “But in here”—I point a single finger to the side of my head—“in here, it’s just us. You and me. Forever,” I say, quickly hurrying to add, “And Holly too, if she wants to be.”
“Trust me, I do not want to be in your head.”
A tiny smile sneaks out from between April’s lips.
“I hope I broke the asshole’s dick,” Holly says.
Laughing, April looks to the side, resting her cheek against my chest. “This is a nice hug. The three of us.”
Holly pulls back, motioning for us to move over. “I gotta go use the bathroom so don’t get used to it.”
We pull our legs up and Holly slinks out. As soon as she’s out of sight, April places her hand over mine, threading our fingers together. “I can’t believe you punched him.”
