Page 35 of To Love or to Lose
“Come with me.” Wren grabs my wrist, already pulling me out of the kitchen and into the sitting room that is off of the dining room.
It’s only when I lean back into the leather chaise lounge that I feel the weight of the panic settling on my chest. My eyes and the back of my throat are both burning. I’m breathing heavily.
Everything is going wrong.
“Breathe, honey.” Wren sits next to me. “You’re okay.”
This room feels messy. It’s probably not, but I still have the overwhelming need to re-fluff the pillows behind me and fold the blanket hanging over the armrest.
I give into these vices, and once I’m done with that, I reorder the magazines on the coffee table in front of me. I’m moving at a million miles a minute, feeling my brain shut itself off to the world when Wren grabs both of my forearms again, reeling me back to reality.
“I know this is hard for you, but I would really like it for you to have a date for homecoming. I think you would have so much fun.” She tries to sound positive, but I know she feels at least partly responsible for putting me in this situation.
I would have expected her to set Winnie up like this, but not me.
Our parents have been trying to set Winnie and Logan up since they were born, same with Luke and Eloise, until Eloise came out.
“I don’t…” My voice breaks out of pure exhaustion. “I don’t like—”
“Who cares if you don’t like Jameson? Homecoming is hardly a proper date, and at least if you agree, it can give you the satisfaction of knowing that he paid for your corsage, your dinner, and your portion of the party bus.”
I think I shiver at the idea of a party bus. I’m too logical to ignore the amount of germs that linger on those.
“If it makes you feel any better, I will order Jameson, as his fill-in mother, to be at your every beck and call. I’ll even make sure he wipes everything down with disinfectant wipes before you touch any of it.” Wren’s reassuring smile relaxes my nerves a bit.
I lean back further in the chaise lounge, trying my best to steady my breathing. “You are not a good influence on my mother,” I joke.
“Oh, she loves me.” Wren smiles. “And you know she wants you to have a date too.”
I nod because she’s right. “You don’t think this will blow up in my face?” I trust Wren’s honest opinion, and even though I have a good idea of what she’s going to tell me, I’d still rather hear it from her.
“How could it?”
I could think of a few ways, but I decide against saying something. There’s no use in bringing any of the parents into the personal issues between Jameson and I.
Instead, I concede. “Fine.”
Chapter Nine
223 days until graduation
I’ve never understood the elation that comes with school dances.
Sure, it’s fun to dress up, go to a fancy dinner, and then a dance, but I catch myself wondering every year if it’sreallyworth the hassle.
This year is no different, if anything it’s an even larger escapade now that Eloise, Winnie, and I have dates, because our mothers have taken it completely over the top.
Monday, Winnie and I went with Wren to the local flower shop to pick out the three corsages and three boutonnieres.
Tuesday, the girls and I went to get our nails done, where Eloise complained the entire time.
Wednesday, Winnie called me crying after getting yelled at in ballet for having acrylics on. I told her to tell her teacher she’ll stop wearing nails when the boys have to put their feet through the torture of pointe shoes like the girls.
Thursday, I went with Eloise and Logan to make reservations at the restaurant we were planning on going to.
On Friday, Wren texted Eloise, Winnie, and I telling us we were to be at her house at three o’clock on the dot, no later, no earlier.
It’s two thirty now, and I’m thanking God that Winnie lives next door to the Callaghan house.
