She’s halfway inside when it occurs to me why she’s in such a good mood. “Mom, how was your date?”
“It was…really good,” she says with a happy little smile. “We’re seeing each other again next weekend. We’re going hiking.”
“But you hate nature,” I remind her. “And you don’t hike.”
“I do now,” she says back with another smile. “Your curfew is in five minutes.”
X turns to me once the sliding glass door is all the way closed. “Man, that was close,” he says. “Can’t have your mom’s first impression of me be bad. I need for her to like me.”
“She likes you,” I say, so earnestly I’m sure he knows I’m talking about myself. “My dad likes you too.”
“That’s good,” he says.
We stare at each other for another few seconds. If only Mom had come home a minute later.
“Well, I guess I should get going,” he says. He picks up his guitar and straps it across his back. “I didn’t get to play the song for you.”
“Next time,” I say. I walk him back through the apartment and out the front door.
“Think your friends would be up for a bonfire tomorrow night?” he asks.
I almost agree before I remember the state of things with Sophie and Cassidy.
“That’s not such a good idea,” I say.
He rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I know you said you wanted to go slow.”
“No, no, it’s not that,” I say, rushing to reassure him. I tell him what happened with Sophie and Cassidy.
When I get to the end, he tilts his head at me, confused. “Wait. You broke up with them because they started dating each other?”
“Not because they started. Because they’ll eventually stop dating. They’re going to break each other’s hearts. It’s too painful to watch.”
“So you’re not friends with them?”
“We’re friends. We just don’t hang out anymore.” I know how nonsensical this sounds. I try for a smile to lighten the mood and move us on from here, but it doesn’t work.
“Evie, you ditched the friends you’ve had since middle school.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t explain.”
“Because it doesn’t make sense. Even if your guess is right and they break up and screw everything up, look at all the time you’re missing with them right now.” He turns and stares down the street like there’s something out there he’s been hoping to see. “People don’t come back, Evie. The time we get is the time we get.” His voice is urgent, like he really needs me to understand the thing he’s trying to tell me. He’d give anything to have another day with Clay.
I take a step down and wrap my arms around his waist. It takes him a few seconds before he puts his arms around me too.
“I’ll think about what you said,” I say.
“Was this our first argument?” he asks.
“I think so.”
“Wasn’t too bad,” he says, grinning down at me.
I smile back up at him. “We can try harder next time.”
CHAPTER 34
I Got You, Babe
I WAKE UP knowing what I have to do. It’s Sunday, which means it’s Surf City Waffle brunch day. When I text Martin to tell him I’m going to meet them there, he says to go to Cassidy’s house instead. Sophie didn’t want to go to SCW if we weren’t all going to be together. I get on my bike and try not to think about all the togethers we’re going to miss in the future. X’s words from last night come back to me. The time we get is the time we get.
The first time I ever visited Cassidy’s house in Beverly Hills, I was in middle school. Her house is so big I remember thinking that Dad had gotten the address wrong and taken me to a hotel or country club. But no.
I ring the bell and Martin answers the door. Instead of hello, he says, “Just warning you, they’re still pretty mad.”
“How mad is pretty mad?”
“Be prepared to offer up one of your organs,” he says, and closes the door behind me.
“Who’s angrier?”
“Sophie’s less likely to take a swing at you.”
“Okay,” I say.
“Also, you should know that they really believe in public displays of affection. They kiss all the time. They call each other ‘babe’ all the time.”
“Even Cassidy?”
“Especially Cassidy. You don’t know the things I’ve seen, Eves,” he says.