Page 24 of A World Without You
“How you been?” I ask, pulling back and smiling at him.
“Better than you, I’m guessing,” he responds, and I bark out a laugh. He’s always been quite unfiltered, and it would seem the last five years have not changed him in that regard. “What happened to your face?”
“Bennett!” Shannon shrieks, though it’s lined with laughter.
Melanie’s husband, Brian, laughs, and I glare at him, then turn back to Shannon. “It’s fine. I’m divorced and jobless during the holidays, so it’s okay if we don’t gloss over the absolute depression that is my life.”
“Aw, don’t you worry, honey, you’ll get a job in no time,” Shannon says.
Brian gives me a look, and I shake my head. “Happy Thanksgiving, Brian.”
He smirks and playfully socks my shoulder. He’s been with my sister since high school. He’s more like a brother I grew up with than some random man my sister married.
“Happy Thanksgiving is right. Let’s get some drinks!” Mom says, then reaches out and gently strokes my cheek. “And some burn cream for your face. My goodness, Livvie. It reminds me of the time you burned your neck so badly in high school I thought Colin gave you a hickey. I called his mother, and we agreed to ground you both.”
She laughs, and everyone else does as well as we make our way through the house to the kitchen and family room. I don’t laugh, though. Just mentioning Colin’s name impales my heart so viciously I forget to breathe for ten whole seconds.
But I force a smile and graciously take the glass of red wine Bennett hands to me. He holds out his fist. I stare at it a beat, knowing exactly what he’s doing. It’s a stupid handshake we made up after becoming the flashlight tag team champs one year on the Fourth of July.
I tap his fist twice with mine, then we pull back and wiggle our fingers together. I smile up at him. He’s seven years older than me. I always thought he was the coolest person in the world. When he made up a handshake with me when I was nine, I knew I was also the coolest by proxy.
“Quit looking around the room like your puppy died,” he says.
My jaw drops. “You know that’s insensitive. I just got a divorce, Bennett.”
“And now you’re about to eat the best mac and cheese of your life, so get your priorities straight, Liv,” he bites back, and I snort out a laugh.
Bennett’s been through worse with his ex, I’m sure, and he’s still here with a good attitude and an almost-smile on his face.
“Glad to see you’re still such a delight,” I tease, and he unleashes a real smile. The one I know and love. It feels like a memory, gently wrapping its arms around my wounds, reminding me that sometimes when everything is going wrong, you just need to fall back into what you know.
SIX
Thursday, November 23rd
Thanksgiving
