Page 56 of With a Broken Wing
Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Jules danced to a terrible remix of “Party in the U.S.A.” and William watched her with a crooked smile that was equal parts adoration and annoyance. Katie was flirting with a guy I didn’t recognize by the bar, probably going for a free drink because old men with wedding rings weren’t her usual type.
The sound of cheering off to the side drew my attention to Auston, who was celebrating his win. The dance seemed like a bit much for a grown man who knocked over a stack of milk bottles with a tennis ball to win a stuffed monkey. A smile tugged at my lips.I wish I could be that carefree.
“Hi.” Before he sat down, I could smell the scent that had been haunting my dreams day and night.
I didn’t have it in me to see what he’d be saying with his eyes. I locked my fingers together and fidgeted with a hangnail on one of my thumbs. “Hi.”
“Are you having fun?”
I couldn’t resist the sudden urge to face him. He wanted to know if I was having fun. He didn’t want to tell me he can’t stand me. His dark eyes were gentle, and they looked almost sad. They weren’t full of the hate I’d expected. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“This.” I gestured around me. “Why did you throw me a party?”
“Bold to assume this was for you, sunshine.” The side glance he gave me held an amount of amusement that made butterflies come to life in my stomach. His voice was gentle and playful, and an ache stirred in my core. I swallowed the lump growing in my throat.
I had missed everything about him. The way he smelled like oak and mint, how his lips moved, and the sound of his voice. For the first time since he’d walked away from me, I released the tension my shoulders had been holding.
“Jules forced me to come, and you flew Auston and Katie here for it.” I held up my fingers, counting the reasons. He opened his mouth. “Don’t deny it and try to say it was Jules. Auston already told me he thinks you’recool.”
Demetri laughed, a sound like music to my ears. I wanted to bury my face against his chest and stay there. “It’s just a party,” he said.
“But I don’t get it. You hate me. Why do you even want me here? Why do you want my friends here?”
He whipped his head in my direction. “I don’thateyou, Andy. I don’t think I could ever hate you. I should have let you explain. I shouldn’t have just walked away.” He opened and closed his mouth, showing his internal debate about how much he wanted to say.
“You were right to be angry. I’m a mess. I’m not a good person, Demetri.” I looked at him, sure he would be agreeing with me. I had lied to him. I didn’t tell him about Fisher, the pills, or my history. I didn’t blame him for not wanting to be around me.
“Yes, you are. You can’t possibly believe you’re abadperson.”
Tears welled in my eyes, and every regret washed over me. “I am, though.”
He moved quickly, his hands landing on either side of my face before I had the chance to flinch. “Listen to me. You arenota bad person. No matter what people have told you in the past.”
I nodded. My heart was racing, and the skin beneath his hands felt like it was burning.He didn’t hate me?I was so sure he wouldn’t forgive me, and part of me didn’t want him to. What if Fisher kept his promise?
I glanced at my phone when it started to ring on the table.Mother.Demetri stiffened and grabbed it, flipping it over and wrapping his arms around me. A pang of sadness stung in my throat. Demetri knew, and he watched me, darting his eyes from my face to the now ignored, torn treat in front of me.
When he let go of me, the sun had started to set, and lights on the stands and trucks flickered to life. There were people bringing out chairs and lining the lawn with them before others found a seat and settled in.
My heart started pounding in my chest.Fireworks.
A cold sweat beaded on my skin, and the pulse in my neck roared in my ears. When the first bang went off, followed by the loud pop and flash that lit up the sky, my skin crawled. I shut my eyes and resisted the urge to cover my ears.
Then another one, followed by another. Every pop made me jump, and when the ringing in my ears started to block everything else out, I jumped up from the table. “I’ll be back.” I didn’t wait for the inevitable argument before I took off for the bathroom.
The concrete walls of the park bathroom did little to block the sound of the fireworks or the cooing audience, but the echoed sound of my breathing was louder. I took a deep breath. In.One, two, three, four, five.Out.One, two, three, four, five.
The shaking in my hands didn’t stop. It felt like every muscle in my body was quivering, and if I stood up, I was sure my legs would give out from under me. Still, I got up from the toilet and straightened my clothes, adding a small smile in case someone was in the bathroom.
Leaving the stall, I leaned against the counter. “You’re okay, Andy,” I told myself, grateful the bathroom was otherwise empty. With one more deep breath, I grabbed my phone and ordered an Uber to pick me up. I had to get out of here.
Five minutes. That’s how long the app told me I’d wait. The air in the bathroom was stale, and when my phone started to ring again, it felt too warm for comfort. The alert popped up for a voicemail I should ignore but would probably listen to if I wanted to torture myself later, and my throat tightened so each breath felt labored.
If I snuck out of the bathroom, I could get to a bench by the opening before the finale. Could I do it without being seen?
I opened the door a crack and peered out, sure that if anyone was out there, I looked as suspicious as I felt. Nobody was there, though, so I slipped through the door and turned the corner to sneak unseen to the parking lot.
