Page 18 of Wreckage of Me
The way she says the last part is making me laugh.
“That’s awesome, Em.” I lean into her and give her a hug. “I’m proud of you!”
“You are?”
“That was a badass move, girl,” I elbow her jokingly. “Now the ball is in his court. And you know what?”
“What?” A smile is finally blooming on her pretty face.
“If he doesn’t call, screw him, you hear me?” I shake her when I say it. “The world is full of men.Full,” I enunciate. “And they’ll be staying in line for a chance with you as soon as you show signs of being available that way.”
“Thank you,” Emily whispers and pulls me into a tight hug just as the driver parks the car in front of my house. “I’ll call you,” she promises.
“Well, you better,” I tease. “I do know where to find you after all.”
“I want you to tell me about…” She hesitates for a second. “Everything,” she finally says, and I am grateful that she didn’t say Dylan’s name out loud. I am just not mentally prepared to hear it anymore. I need a break from it.
“You got it,” I wink at her and get out of the car when the driver opens the door for me. I thank him, grab my bag from his outstretched hand, then rush to the front door of my house.
I jump back in surprise when the door flies open, revealing my little brother looming in the doorway.
“Jesus, Colt,” I press a hand to my chest. “You scared the life out of me!”
“I missed you,” is all he says right before he bends down and picks me up, spinning me around in circles.
“Quit, you goofball,” I swat at his shoulders, signaling for him to put me down. When he does, he drops me like a sack of potatoes, almost causing me to lose my balance.
“I couldn’t wait for you to get home, Becca,” he grins at me, unaware of my inner turmoil, which is just the way I like it.
“Wow, this is the happiest anyone’s ever been to see me in like… well, ever,” I tease him, taking a couple of steps in and closing the door behind me. “What’s up?”
We walk into the living room where I drop my bag on the floor at the foot of the couch. The energy and excitement coming off Colton in waves cannot be missed.
“What’s going on?” I finally ask him when I see that he’s not showing any signs of starting to talk without being prompted.
Instead of saying anything, Colton turns around, runs to the kitchen, then rushes back with a stack of mail in his hands.
“Oh my god,” I gasp, my hand automatically coming up to cover my mouth. “Are those…” I mumble behind the hand I still have covering my lips.
“Five!” Colton pushes the stack of envelopes into my chest, giving me no choice but to grab them before they fall to the ground.
“Colt,” I whisper, chocking on the tears and rush of emotions flooding my system. “I am so proud of you. I can’t even…” I don’t even know what else I can say. I am speechless.
“I waited for you to get home, that way we can open them together.” He looks almost embarrassed by his child like confession, and that’s it. I burst into tears and can’t stop crying. Everything I went through in the last couple of days as I was trying to help Dylan just fades away in the light of my little brother’s accomplishments.
“Aww, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” poor Colt looks completely lost, and I try to get my shit together.
“Before we do this,” I grab his hand, “I just need you to know that Mom and Dad would’ve been over the moon at this piece of news, Colt.” I pull him in another bone crushing hug. “And they still are,” I whisper, “from wherever they are.”
“Thanks for everything, Becca,” my baby brother’s voice cracks with emotion when he says that. “I could’ve never done any of this without you.”
“It was all you, babe,” I assure him with another sniffle. “Now let’s see what the future holds!”
We both sit on the couch, the letters staring us in the face from the coffee table in front of us.
The future for both of us is about to change.
Forever.
