Page 22 of Hopeless
“It has nothing to do with your last name. Everything to do with you not standing up for yourself.”
She barks out a laugh. I recognize immediately that my words were harsh—judgmental—but she parries the blow they might have delivered. This girl is Kevlar.
“For someone who has seen some dark shit, you’re sure naive. Living in some sort of magical fairy land over there, Eaton? Why don’t you wave your wand, give me a different last name, and we’ll put this theory to the test.”
The heavy thud of my heart in my chest accelerates, pumping faster as the thrill of a new idea courses through my veins. A new mission.
“Is that a bet?”
“What?” She glides her hands through the water, giving me a confused look.
“That things would be different if you had a different last name?”
“It’s not a bet. It’s a fact.”
“I’ll take that bet.” My body thrums as this new idea takes shape in my mind. I’d also be willing to bet a therapist wouldn’t approve of my plan. But I stopped seeing one a couple of months ago, so nothing is holding me back.
“What bet? For a guy who drinks chamomile tea all night, you seem awfully confused.”
“I’ll give you my last name and we’ll see if people treat you differently.”
She goes deathly still. “How?”
“We get married.”
There’s a pregnant pause. It seems like even the creek stops babbling. And then, “I’m not marrying you. That’s insane.”
I wave off her words. I’m not accustomed to being rejected. Rejection doesn’t factor into my mindset. I usually get what I want, at any cost.
“We’ll get engaged. That will give you the promise of becoming an Eaton. We can plan a wedding that never happens.”
“Fake engaged?” She sounds incredulous, and I can’t blame her. This is a cracked plan. I’m definitely not thinking straight, but I also feel more excited than I have in literal months.
“Yes. We test our theories in public and break up before a wedding ever happens. Obviously.”
“Did you spike your tea with something?”
A deep laugh bubbles up out of me. “No.”
“Are you high?”
I roll my eyes now. “Bailey.”
“Don’t Bailey me!” She slaps the water with both hands as she laughs—a high, unhinged sort of squeal. “You’re acting insane. Why wouldyouwant to pretend to be engaged tome? Why would you do this?”
“Because it would get my family off my ass about how I’m doing, and where I spend all my time, and all that other overbearing shit they constantly ask me about. And I love a competition. What do I get if I win?”
“I haven’t agreed to this yet.”
Yet. I’ll take that.
Her white teeth drag across her bottom lip as she turns the idea over in her head.
I give her more to consider. “If you’re right, you’ll get everyone in town off your back for however long it takes you to get out of here. Maybe you can even get another job that pays better.”
“People won’t believe this.”
“Why not?”
