Page 37 of Hoax and Kisses
Guilt rushes through me faster than a torrent mid-hurricane.
I could have been a tad nicer, and maybe not started a riot. To be fair, people got angryveryeasily.
I suppose, in a sense, that’s good. Now I won’t have to work to convince anybody to vote against that shitty hotel.
But damn, I wouldn’t have wanted to be in her shoes up there. She didn’t deserve the level of ire thrown her way, regardless of what she came here to do. She went through the wringer, and yeah, yeah, I know, I started it. I’m the one to blame.
I always tell Daphne to lead with kindness and expect the same of the people in her life, and yet there I went, pulling a stunt like thatin front of my sister. I’m gonna have some explaining to do later, because, of course, I taught her about accountability too.
Shit.
I glance at the doors Zoey bolted through a minute ago. Maybe I can still catch up with her and apologize. There’s a good chance she’ll rip my head off, but it’s probably worth the risk, right?
Would it be weird if I drove to Oli’s and knocked on her door? Again? Flashes of her sweaty skin under my fingertips pop into my mind, but I shove them away quickly. Not the place, not the time. Not anymore.
I push through the exit doors just as she backs out of her parking spot.
“Zoey, hey.” I jog into the road and stand in front of her car.
When she realizes it’s me, her entire face closes off. “Move,” she mouths through the windshield.
Bravely—stupidly?—I set both hands on the hood and lean down, meeting her eyes. “Can you give me a minute?”
Damn. The steering wheel is getting an aggressive treatment. The way she’s gripping it? Pretty sure her fingers will leave a permanent imprint.
After an eternity, during which her eyes narrow more than once, as if she’s considering the pros and cons of running me over, Zoey kills the engine and lowers her window. “I’m feeling benevolent. You have thirty seconds.”
I walk around the car and rest my forearm on the frame, leaning in. “I’m really sorry about what happened in there. You have every right to be mad at me.”
“Thank you for your approval,” she says, derision dripping all over her tone. “Is that all?”
“I messed up. I’m sorry.” I drag a hand down my face. “You have to understand—”
“Oh, Ihaveto understand. Do I, now? After you couldn’t give me that same courtesy in front of the whole town? What else do you have to teach me, Matt, huh?”
I deserve it. No denying that. “All I’m saying is that nothing I mentioned in there was personal.”
She exhales loudly. “Oh, okay. Now I’m relieved. Thanks for clearing that up.”
She glares out the windshield, though when she peers back at me through her lashes, the pretense has been dropped. There isn’t a trace of sarcasm left on her face. No mask, no fake smile. Just Zoey and the hurt I caused.
“I didn’t even have time to present my idea. You jumped on me like a starving hyena as soon as I opened my mouth. What if I actually had something good to say? Maybe,just maybe, I don’t have any ill intention when it comes to this town. Is it so unbelievable that I could have thought long and hard about finding the best solution to your problem?”
She turns the engine back on, my sign that my seconds are numbered.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted you.” My shoulders sink, the weight of shame pulling me down. “We’re a sensitive bunch when it comes to our town, Zoey. It doesn’t excuse my behavior, but I meant it when I said it wasn’t personal.”
I don’t expect her to understand. Belonging to a community and caring for the well-being of others isn’t something people who live in big cities are very familiar with. But still. I need her to know it’s bigger than her. It’s about our town’s identity at its very core.
Her grip around the wheel relaxes an inch. I have no idea whether my explanation resonated, but I’ll take it.
“Noted,” she says. “Good night.”
Facing forward again, she presses the button that raises her window, and I have just enough time to retreat a step before she drives away.
“Who’s up for a hot cocoa?” I turn the key and the lock clicks open, Daphne squealing next to me.
“Do you have something stronger?” Lola asks, following my sister inside.
