Page 58 of Unstoppable You

I remembered her parents from when we’d been in school. Her mom worked for the town, so she literally knew everyone, and her dad was a teacher, so he knew everyone that she didn’t know. They’d come to every single parents’ night and concert and event for Delaney and they were always so proud of her.

My parents had never shown up unless it was a meeting where they could get up and talk or yell or fight with each other. Or my mom would want to join a group and be in charge and make everyone else miserable. She’d practically demolished the Boosters in less than a month. They wanted to ban her, but then my dad threw a fit even though he hated her. My parents were endlessly embarrassing.

Delaney typed out a message and then waited. A few responses came in.

“They’re concerned but I told them that I’d come for dinner next week, as well as on the weekend. It really has been too long since I’ve seen them.” I could hear the guilt in her voice.

“I thought you weren’t going to be good anymore?” I asked her.

She rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

I couldn’t help but lean closer to her. “What did you mean?”

She looked away from me. “I can’t believe I showed you my Fuckit List.”

I almost choked. “Yourwhat?”

“My Fuckit List. You saw it last night.” Was that what she was calling it? I had to hold back a laugh.

“It was quite a list.” One item in particular had completely disrupted our day.

Delaney scrolled through her list and then set her phone down.

“Do you need anything?” I asked.

“No. I mean… No.”

What was that hesitation?

“It’s okay. You can ask for things, Delaney.” She clenched her hands on her knees.

“It’s nothing.”

She wasn’t going to open up to me anymore right now. I really needed a moment away from her to think, but I wasn’t going to get it right now.

“It’s a nice day out. What do you think about taking a walk?” Sitting here in the apartment was too much for me. Made me think about the kisses we had shared and how the second time she had been about to shove her tongue in my mouth and I’d almost blacked out in shock.

“Yeah.” Delaney nodded. “Let’s do that.”

* * *

It wasone of those unusually hot early fall days that still felt like summer, so we headed toward the pier.

“Did you want to get anything?” I asked her as we strolled past the stalls that would soon be closed down for the season.

“I wouldn’t say no to some ice cream.”

We got in line to order ice cream and I kept glancing at her. I had kissed Delaney Budreau.Shehad kissedme. It made me want to climb on one of the picnic tables and announce it to everyone.

I mean, it was never going to happen again, so I was going to have to live the rest of my life on those two short kisses. Not enough. Not nearly enough.

I swore I could still taste her if I licked my lips.

Delaney ordered a chocolate peanut butter cone, and I got cherry vanilla. We walked together toward the end of the pier as we ate our ice cream together.

“Feeling better?” I asked.

“Ice cream always seems to help,” she responded. “I still feel shitty about not going to see my parents, but I couldn’t talk to them right now. They’d ask me all kinds of questions that I don’t think I have the answers to.”

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