Page 124 of Until Then

“Even in the middle of the night?” I ask with half a laugh.

“Even then.” She stands and snags the cup of brushes, helping me clean up, then sets the planter aside for touch-ups in the morning.

“I already ordered the pizza.” She loops her arm through mine. “I thought we could walk down the street and get it.”

With a heavy sigh, I lean my head on my sister’s shoulder. “Only if we get wine, too.”

Laughing, she pats my arm. “Wine is always a must.”

“I can’t eat another bite,”I groan, throwing down the small piece of crust I’ve just bitten into.

“I’m stuffed, too.” Via rubs her belly. “It was good, though.”

“It really was.” I lean my back against her couch, stretching my legs out in front of me on the air mattress. I didn’t knowshe had this, but apparently, when I showed up in town, she ordered it, worried that my staying with Derrick may not work out.

Matthew McConaughey is on screen, teaching Kate Hudson’s character how to ride a motorcycle. I’ve watchedHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Daysmore times than I’d care to admit, but it never gets old. It’s a peak 2000s rom-com.

“How much is it killing Reid not to be here?”

Via rolls her eyes. “We’re capable of being apart.”

“I know.” I bite back a smile. “But how many times has he texted you?”

She eyes her phone where it sits on the air mattress beside her. “Um…”

“How many times?” I reach for her phone just as she does. As we grapple for it, it slips out of her hand and slides across the floor.

We scramble over one another, and when I have the upper hand, I hold her at bay and snatch it up.

“Victory!” I hold the phone aloft, then pop up and run across the room, typing in her password as I go.

When it unlocks, her text thread with Reid is already pulled up. “What the—ah!” I throw her phone onto the couch and slap my hands over my eyes. “I just saw your boyfriend’s penis!”

Okay, so it was only the top curve of it. He had his sweatpants tugged down, showing off his stomach and his…

“I’m going to throw up.” I lower my hands, gagging.

“That’s what you get for being nosy.” Via picks the device up off the cushion and cradles it protectively against her chest.

Whimpering, I scrub at my eyes like that can rid me of the vision. “I wasn’t expecting a dick pic!”

“That’s not even a dick pic,” she says, studying the screen. “It’s a… I don’t know, but it’s not that.”

“Well, I certainly know the girth of it now. Is your vagina okay?”

She drops her head back, groaning at the ceiling. “Kill me now.”

With an accusatory finger, I point at her phone. “I’m never going near that thing again. Lesson learned.”

“He’s sent me a bunch of texts. I haven’t replied,” she says softly, lowering the device to the table. “This is our time together.”

“I know,” I sigh, letting my shoulders relax. She’s steadfastly ignored her phone all evening. Then I had to go and ruin it. But in my defense, I wasn’t wrong. He’s been texting up a storm. “It was my fault.”

“Let’s finish the movie.” Grasping my wrist, she tugs me back over to the air mattress.

I go willingly. It takes all of two steps, really, in this tiny apartment.

When the movie is finished, we start another, but we drift off in the middle. When I wake the next morning, Via is passed out next to me and early morning light is flickering in the windows.

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