Page 105 of Every Chance After

Wade speaks first. “I, um, well, there are a few things I could write down.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Roy agrees.

Christie gives his friends a proud grin. “It’s a beautiful idea. Let’s do it.”

Marina grabs a spiral notebook from a nearby shelf and tears out pages, handing one to everyone, including me. I ball up the rumpled manila envelope I’m still holding, ready to throw it away.

She grabs it instead. “I’ll hang on to that, thank you very much. Hey, Roy, is Bobby cute?”

“Oh, quite the looker,” he nods. “Still has all his own teeth. Not everyone loves the face and neck tatts, but his soulful brown eyes cover a multitude of sins. Know what I mean?”

“Hmm,” she smiles dreamily.

I snatch the envelope away. “You will not.”

Her brow cocks like she might call him just to spite me. Still, she doesn’t retrieve it from the trash can I toss it in. She hands everyone a pen from the case tucked into her green notebook and then brushes by me.

“Let’s meet at the pier in an hour,” she tells the group. The door chimes as she exits.

I debate following her, but my feet move before my head catches up, and I’m out the door with Elena’s words echoing.Just go to her, Grady.

She doesn’t stop moving until she reaches the end of the old pier, where her shoulders straighten as she inhales the warm spring air. I edge beside her, not knowing what to say, especially since we don’t apologize anymore. Fucking Roy. Should I apologize anyway? I neversaidI didn’t want her.

But I can’t admit I do, either.

Before I say anything, she giggles, hand to mouth, eyes watering, and shoulders scrunched together. Her cheeks redden with her laughter. I gawk at her, dumbfounded, but can’t help the smile that crests my mouth.

Playing witness to the three stooges back thereisfunny.

Watching her laugh about it is, too.

Maybe she’s right—I need to relax.

She waves a hand over her face, drying her watery eyes. “Those three… they tickle me every day.”

“Don’t tell them that. They might get the wrong idea and do it for real.”

More laughter erupts, sending a nearby cardinal flapping away. “I could barely hold it together back there. I didn’t want to make him feel bad. He bought it from Walmart. Said it was either that or a box of condoms, ribbed formy pleasure.”

She curls over in giggles like she can’t stop. “Wish you could’ve seen the looks of horror on Wade and Christie’s faces.”

I buckle with laughter, imagining it.

“Did you see the cup size on that thing? I couldn’t fill that with tube socks!” she howls.

“All women are voluptuous porn stars to Roy.”

Her giggle is infectious—I haven’t laughed this hard since before…

“And his cousin,” she cackles. “Gosh, that was the cherry on top.”

“Oh, so youwerejust playing with me about calling him? Thank God.”

“You know how much I love seeing you getbrotherly, Grady Tripp.”

I groan, my laughter dwindling.

“Or were you jealous of jailbird Bobby?” she goads.

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