Page 83 of Don't Leave
If I never hit another store for the rest of my life, it’ll be too soon.
The only thing that makes the experience bearable is the steady supply of caffeinated beverages shoved in my hand. Brooklyn also accompanies us on this miserable excursion. Unlike me, she seems to thoroughly enjoy the thrill of the hunt and excitement over every new discovery as much as the other demented people who are out and about before the sun has risen in the sky. In other words, she fits in perfectly with my mom and sisters.
I have two words to sum up this day?—
Never.
Again.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt more exhausted in my life. By the time we return home around two o’clock in the afternoon, the only thing I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of the day. And since I have no plans, that’s exactly what I do. I pass out for three blissful hours, getting up around dinnertime.
With a yawn, I grab my phone and realize there are a few messages. My heart skips a beat, wondering if Cole texted again. As I scroll through them, I see two are from Brooklyn and one is from Luke.
Nothing from Cole.
Rationally speaking, I shouldn’t be disappointed.
But I am, which only makes me crabbier than I already am.
I read through Brooklyn’s text, asking if I’m up for going out tonight.
Ugh. Not really.
I’m still exhausted from the ridiculous amount of shopping we did. And no, having lunch at the Cheesecake Factory did not make any of it better. But I know Brooklyn will end up harassing me if I give her a firm negative at five o’clock in the evening for being lame. I give her a noncommittal response that I can back out of in a couple of hours.
I scan Luke’s text.
Are you up for a party tonight?
I gnaw on my lower lip as I contemplate the question.
Even though I don’t really want to go out, I wonder if maybe I should. I got my hopes up with the few messages Cole and I exchanged. It seems obvious now that he was just checking in to make sure I was okay because that’s the kind of guy Cole is. It’s one of the reasons I fell so hard for him. He’s so considerate and nice.
Then again, so is Luke.
And I do like him…as a friend. Maybe I owe it to myself to explore the connection between us. I don’t know. Maybe I won’t know until I try.
Before I can overthink the invitation, I type out a response.
Sure. Can Brooklyn come?
I actually feel pretty good about killing two birds with one stone. If nothing else comes out of tonight, at least it’ll get Brooklyn off my back.
His text pops up almost immediately.
Sure. I’ll pick you both up at 9.
See you then.
There.
Done.
I’m moving on with my life.
As I suck in a deep breath, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve made a mistake.
Five hours later, we’re at the house of Luke’s high school friend. There are a ton of people, none of whom I know. Luke has been at my side the entire evening, introducing Brooklyn and me to his friends.
