Page 16 of The Plan

He’s still staring at me in thought when he answers. “Ever since I watched August beg our mom for me the way he did. He showed me I had people to get clean for.” I smile at his answer, and my heart aches for him.

I try doing the math. He said he was in tenth grade, so—God, he was just a baby. Okay, we’re in our senior year of college, so that's… “I make six years on the twenty-seventh,” he says, clearly noticing I was trying to figure out the math. April twenty-seventh, okay. That’s next week. I can remember that.

I nod thoughtfully as one of the penguins comes up to the glass, and it kind of looks like it’s waving at me. We both put our hands on the glass at the same time, and it spins twice before swimming away.

“So, what's this rule of yours?”

I take a sip of my piña colada before putting it down in the middle of us. “No boyfriends until I’m twenty-five.” He looks at me like he’s very confused, so I take a breath before continuing. “I watched the person that was supposed to be my role model of what a good man is, hurt the woman he was supposed to love.” His brows furrow, but then there's clarity in his eyes when he realizes I’m talking about my parents.

I pull my eyes from his and look at the penguins again. A full minute goes by before he says anything. “Did he hurt you too?” His voice is soft, and it sends a comforting feeling over me.

I think about that for a few seconds, trying to decide what falls under his definition of hurt. “Not the way he hurt my mom.” When I look over at him, he doesn’t say anything more, but I can tell he understands. “She says she was young and dumb, so—”

“You don’t get abused because you’re young and dumb. That had nothing to do with her and everything to do with him.”

I look between his eyes, realizing he’s probably the first person to tell me that. The first person to tell me that my mom wasn't on the receiving end of my father's anger because she was dumb enough to marry him as young as she did. It wasn’t because she decided to have a kid and get married all before twenty-five.

Even with knowing this, I can’t help but fear I’ll end up where she did because this world is filled with liars and people who hurt those they love. When I look back at Sire, he’s watching me with the softest eyes. He looks so pure.

“It’s probably going to take you a while, not that I care because I’ll wait, but you're going to have to break this rule of yours.”Uh no.

“Why would I do that?”

He picks up my piña colada and takes a sip. “Because I like you, and I now know you’re not still holding that grudge against me, so you can stop acting like you don’t like me.” He has a smile on his face that screams,“Everybody likes me, and I know it.”

“Whatever, Mr. Arrogant.” He smiles at me, and I roll my eyes and bite back a smile, but then I pause when I realize I’ve been fighting back smiles around him all day.Great.

Chapter Five

Vidia

Four Years Earlier

I've been googling, “What aregood sobriety gifts?” every day since Sire told me he makes six years sober today. A bunch of key chains popped up, and there’s no way I am getting him a key chain. He probably already has five of those.

I don’t think I know him well enough to get him a meaningful gift, but I know him enough to know how much he lives, laughs, loves baseball, so I’m sure he’ll love this. I hope he does.

I turn his gift in my hands and then walk out of the nursing tent. The game is over, so I head toward Hazel at the bleachers. I didn’t see any players today, but Jen kind of made it a lecture day and gave me a lot of great tips and techniques. I swear I learn more from her than from my actual classes.

I still haven't got to see Sire, but I look over, and he doesn't look too happy from where Hazel and I are sitting onthe bleachers. He’s talking to August and a girl wearing both August’s and his jersey numbers. I can’t see her face because she has her back to us, but I don’t think she goes to our school.

“Why is she hugging August like that? He better not have a fucking girlfriend.” That isn’t a girlfriend hug, but I look over at Hazel, and she looks like she could kill August, but there’s no way he has a girlfriend. Although they haven’t made it official, I know they’re sleeping together. August sleeps around, from what I've heard, but he is not a cheater.

The girl finally turns around, and holy shit, she— “Woah, she looks just like August.” Hazel literally takes the words out of my mouth. Theyhaveto be related. That would explain why she wore both of the boys’ jersey numbers to their game.

I look back at Hazel to calm her down. “There’s no way they’re dating. That would be really weird.” They could be twins. Sire and I make eye contact, and he starts to make his way over to us as August and his doppelganger follow behind him, shoving each other. Yeah, they’re definitely siblings.

We climb off the bleachers as they walk up to us. “Hi, beautiful.” Eight times. That's the eighth time he’s called me that since last week. Four times when we’ve seen each other and four times over text. Not that I’m keeping track or anything…

I close the distance between us and get on my tippy toes, wrapping my arms around his neck to hug him. He wraps both of his arms around my waist, and I hold on to him a little longer than usual because of what today is.

“Is no one going to introduce me?” We pull away as August’s doppelganger speaks up. She’s very pretty, literally has August's face, just… girly? I’m not sure how to explain it, but their emerald eyes and dark skin are the major similarities. She has longer lashes than August, and her Fulani braids are at her boobs with those wood beads in them.

She’s taller than me and a lot taller than Hazel. She’s also curvier than both of us, probably a plus size. Thick thighs and arms with a cute round face. She is just overall drop-deadgorgeous, like stunning.

August shakes his head and then introduces her with a smile. “This is our sister, Sage. Sage, this is Hazel and Vidia.” He points at each of us when he says our names, and Sage pulls Hazel in for a hug. I’m surprised Hazel actually hugs her back.

“You are way prettier than August gave you credit for.” Hazel thanks her when she lets her go, but I don’t miss the way her cheeks blush. Sage pulls me in and gives me a welcoming squeeze. She holds me for a second, and I smile at how great her hug feels. I like her already.

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