Page 47 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions

She was right.

But I’d been hurt so badly before, it would take a lot of courage for me to agree. I’d have to push aside that pain. Think outside the box. Figure out how to break through George’s icy exterior. Flirting hadn’t worked, nor had words, and unbidden my mind cycled back to the idea of a gift. It was a solid option. A symbol of my remorse. A way to show George that I hadn’t meant to ruin his trip home—even though I had.

That was when June let me in on her plan.

Apparently, June, Joe, Roderick, and Mrs. M had all hatched up this hare-brained scheme to make George ride with me to Hocking Hills—to “clear the air”. It felt like a bad idea. A super bad idea. For so many reasons. George would be less than thrilled to spend the afternoon alone with me.

I hadn’t realized what today meant to him. I’d been blinded by my own agenda—and failed to empathize. Failed to see what was right in front of my face.

In my defense, I hadn’t had all the pieces until he’d given them to me.

Maybe George and I were more alike than I’d realized.

I still had no idea why he’d been away from home for so long, or why the last year had been the “shittiest of his life,” but…I couldn’t leave this be. I had to try to make it right, one final time. I owed it to him. Besides, we’d both benefit from burying the hatchet, so to speak. I doubted spending this trip avoiding me was what he’d wanted when he’d booked the flight home to be with family.

Even so, what June was proposing was…intimidating to say the least. In order to prove to George that I wasn’t the total dick he thought I was, I would have to lower my guard more than “a little”.

And that was…

Petrifying.

“Fine.” I agreed, heart thumping erratically at the thought of being alone with George again. “I’ll try.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

I’d accept whatever fate George chose for us.

If he never wanted to talk to me again, I’d respect that.

I could put aside my pride.

I could accept this sliver of grace for what it was.

A second chance to make things right wrapped up in one terrible, awful, bad decision. Even if I had toearnthat second chance by embarking on the most uncomfortable road trip in the history of the world. That was a small price to pay for an opportunity to earn George’s forgiveness.

The next morning was a shit show of epic proportions. Between the packing, the yelling, and the inevitable havoc that broke out whenever all of us were home, it was no wonder I forgot about my mom and her matchmaking.

At least…until it was time for me to claim my spot inside Lacey’s van next to Mavis, and I realized in my haste to be helpful, I’d made the mistake of dropping my guard. All it took was one glance after yanking the door open to understand that I had been betrayed.

Again.

My seat was already occupied. Roderick smiled at me, glasses glinting as he offered me an unapologetic wave. I was so surprised to see him that I did a double take. Mavis was unconcerned, sitting obediently with a stuffed lion tucked protectively in her lap, its mane almost as matted as her own hair. I’d watched Lacey comb it that morning, so it was a mystery how she’d managed to get it that messy that quickly.

Kid magic.

“What are you doing in Lacey’s car?” I asked, already anticipating the answer. “I assumed…you would be riding with Juniper? You know…your fiancée?” Maybe he’d forgotten. Perhaps this was a fluke and he’d hop right out and thank me for the reminder.

“Your mom invited me.”

“My mom…invitedyou?”

“Yes. When I told her all the other spots were full of coolers.”

“Jesus.” Mom had packed ten coolers herself. I knew because I’d helped. One of them had been entirely filled with bacon.

Roderick appeared benign, but he was far from innocent. “So here I am!” Roderick’s jazz hands were awkward as hell. Fingers still wiggling, he offered me the same cheeky grin that had made me weak-kneed in high school. Now it just made me want to pull my hair out. Or stab him. Or both. “Don’t worry. We made sure you had a ride.”

“You made sure that I…” My sentence was cut off when I felt a familiar wall of heat at my back. A shadow fell over me, slipping along the sun-sanded surface of the paint on the hood of the van. The scent of designer cologne filled my nose.

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