Page 140 of Wherever You Are
“Can I touch you?” I round the box to stand in front of Willow.
She nods once. I wrap my arms around her body and tuck her into my chest. My chin rests on the top of her head, and her arms kind of dangle at her sides. Her heart is a rapid, nervous organ inside her chest, thumping against me.
This tenderness doesn’t exist in my life except right here.
“Willow,” I whisper. “Can I be your boyfriend?” I ask again, this time better.
Her fingers slide against the belt loops of my pants. “Yeah. I’d like that.” And then she adds, “So I’m your girlfriend? Does this mean I’m not yourgirlanymore?”
“No way.” I close my eyes, letting my smile pull my cheeks. “You’re still my girl, even more now.”
34BACK THEN – September
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WILLOW MOORE
Age 18
“So I need to tell you all something,” I declare to too many people.
I don’t love being the center of attention. Commanding a space like this is my own personal nightmare. Even if I’m just speaking to these six people in Lily and Lo’s living room.
I count the heads: Lily and Lo, Ryke and Daisy, Connor and Rose.
The latter moved out of the house during the summer. They live in this regal mansion down the street, so it’s not as if they’re too far away.
Garrison stuffs his hands in his leather jacket, a backwards baseball cap covers his thick brown hair, and he watches me with silent encouragements in his aquamarine eyes.
Lo swings his head from Garrison to me and back to Garrison. My older brother’s glare is slowly boiling. Eruption imminent.
And he doesn’t even know why Garrison is here yet. Spilling this news might actually make it worse, but there’s no going back.
I push up my black-rimmed glasses and take a steady breath. “I thought it’d be a good idea if Garrison was here too.” I regret speaking the obvious detail. It causes an intense reaction.
Lo abruptly stands from the chair, and Lily clutches his leg like she’s trying to keep him from confronting Garrison or maybe even chasing him out of the house.
“Is he part of your news?” Lo asks hesitantly.
Daisy suddenly wraps an arm around Ryke’s waist, both seated on the couch. It’s hard not to notice Lily and Daisy physically restraining their men.
Well, this is already going terribly.
“Yeah…” I grab onto the strap of my overalls, the motion a nervous tic.
Garrison slides closer to me, and his fingers thread through mine. My pulse accelerates, but I also breathe easier.
“Are you pregnant?” Lo asks me.
“What?” I choke.
“Yeah,what?” Garrison snaps, his face darkening. He motions to the entire room. “If anyone’s knocking up anyone, it’s one of you, and honestly, what the hell are you wearing?” He grimaces at Ryke.
“Underwear,” Ryke says like it’s just another day of being nearly naked in the living room.
“I see that, thanks,” Garrison says dryly.
Do not look again, Willow. Do. Not. Look.
