Page 81 of The Summer of Everything

“I should… coffee,” Kyra stutters, frowning. “I need to grab the coffee.”

Wes’s head snaps in Anna’s direction. She’s unstacking, then restacking, cups. Cooper’s frozen, a true deer-in-headlights. “What?” Wes asks, annoyed. “What’s up?”

Silence fills the store, only magnified by the end of the CD. The one noise Wes can hear, on a continuous drumming loop, is his heartbeat.

“What’s going on?” Ella finally asks, swatting Cooper’s arm. “Speak, pixie elf.”

Cooper yelps, rubbing his arm. “I know nothing!”

But he does. Wes can tell by the way he watches Wes with planet-sized eyes. He reeks of guilt and shame.

“Coop,” Wes whispers, unable to hide the plea.

Cooper’s nostrils flare. “A girl. He left earlier with a girl.”

“Details,” demands Ella.

“Red hair. Five foot seven from a distance. Ethereal. Age estimated at eighteen or nineteen,” Cooper spouts, inching farther and farther from the threat of Ella’s bruising hand.

“So?” Ella scoffs. “She could’ve been a friend.”

But she wasn’t. Wes knows by the way Cooper’s staring at the ground and refusing to confirm Ella’s theory.

“It’s plausible,” Zay confirms from the stage.

“But you think it was more,” Wes says, voice shaking. He can’t stop it.

Zay’s face goes neutral. He inhales deeply, then nods.

“People have friends they’re close to,” Cooper says, diplomatically. “Not every relationship is romantic or sexual in nature. Not every intimate interaction with someone is solely based on physical attraction.”

“You’re right,” Wes says, but he doesn’t think this is one of those moments. He’s been avoiding Nico. And he’s been actively rereading the list he created in that tiny bathroom at the back of the bookstore.

Signs Your Crush Isn’t Into You!!!

2. If your crush shows signs of being into someone else, ABORT!

This is another confirmation, not that he needed one.

All Wes wanted was for his summer to be like a good ‘90s rock song: days in the sun, being a slacker, and falling in love at a party. It figures things wouldn’t work out that way. Wes wants Green Day and life gives him Backstreet Boys—crushes and heartbreak and truly awful parent-child relationship issues.

A weight settles against Wes’s chest. It’s as if someone’s wrapped rubber bands around his lungs, cutting off the air flow. He tastes the bile at the back of his throat. Is he even standing? He’s not sure.

Nico’s out with another girl.I need to move on.

Erratic heartbeats in his ears are the loudest noise he’s ever heard.

“Wes,” Cooper says quietly. “They’re just—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ella interrupts, frustrated. She pivots to Wes. “We’re leaving. Now.”

Wes shakes out of his daze. “What? No. We can’t.” He tries to lift his arm to wave around the bookstore, but he’s too numb. “Open mic night.”

Ella looks over her shoulder at Zay. They share a conversation with their eyes. Eventually, Zay says, “We can hold it down.”

“No,” Wes protests, voice shaking.

“I was gonna upstage you anyway,” Zay argues gently. “Sorry Wes, but I shine too bright for co-hosting.”

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