Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
ANNIKA
Toward the end of March, my dad and brothers came to visit us during their Spring Break.
I almost cried when I saw the two of them come running toward my house.
They somehow got even taller since I moved.
They stand probably a full five inches above me.
Wes always looks like such a typical California boy in the summer.
His light brown hair gets lighter, and his olive skin deepens to a golden brown.
Joey could pass as my twin more than Wes.
We don’t get dark in the spring and summer like Wes and Dad.
Instead, a constellation of freckles appears on the tops of our shoulders and cheeks.
I definitely wasn’t expecting Joey to show up with a buzzcut, but he said he couldn’t stand how hot his thick black hair gets during their baseball season.
I took my dad and brothers around town and showed them where I work.
The twins are deciding on what college to go to, but they both agreed they want to come to Oregon, where it’s less hot than SoCal and closer to me.
It’s been three months since Chloe and I uprooted our lives in San Diego and moved to Auburn Hills.
Summer is in full swing as mid-June rolls by.
In a rare occurrence, Chloe and I both have a free Saturday.
Lately, our schedules have been booked by summer weddings and Chloe training a new flock of employees.
It was Chloe’s idea to spend this weekend doing something we both love and haven’t done in ages—thrift shopping!
Just the idea of stumbling on a gem in a vintage shop fills my soul with giddy anticipation.
“So I asked Tyler if he could send me a list of his favorite thrift spots.” Chloe strides into my room wearing bright yellow flowing linen pants with embroidered white flowers and a just as whimsical, breezy white tank to match.
“He really loves a curated list,” I say, shimming my denim cut-off shorts on.
I dive into my small closet, looking for my favorite band tee.
It’s a dark gray shirt that’s perfectly worn in from Beyonce’s Dangerously in Love Tour.
Though I didn’t attend, I was too busy climbing monkey bars and fawning over the new boy.
It is still one of my favorite thrift finds and, hopefully, my good luck charm for today’s trip.
“Oh my god,” Chloe says. “I mentioned to him the other day about how I like pancakes. The next day, he sent me a list with all the best places that make buttermilk pancakes.”
I emerge from my closet, thinking about her response.
“When did you two see each other?” From my experience of the four of us hanging out, Chloe and Tyler keep things neutral. Though I can tell he might have a thing for her, she effortlessly brushes him off, still not wanting to wander into dating territory.
Chloe shrugs and says, “He came into the bookstore the other day, and we chatted for a few minutes. Nothing really.”
“Ah, okay,” I say, keeping my response short, although Chloe reacts as if I told her a monologue.
“Whatever, okay, are you ready yet? I want to hit all seven places.”
“Seven? San Diego didn’t even have that many we could hit in the same day.”
“Well, who knew that rural Oregon would be a gold mine for vintage and consignment shops.”
I hop in the passenger seat of Chloe’s sedan and send a text to Reid. Chloe is still nervous about leaving Dandy home alone, so I suggested asking him to stop by and check on the place.
Annika
Hey can you do me a favor?
Chloe and I are going shopping today, can you stop by the house in a couple hours and check on Dandy?
Reid
A favor? Do I get one in return?
I roll my eyes. He can never just oblige.
Annika
Depends on the request.
Reid
This reminds me of a ping-pong game I played one time.
A weird, sinking feeling starts bubbling in my belly. Reid and I are still avoiding discussing our past relationship. I’m not sure if it’s part of a truce or if both of us are just so horribly immature at communicating we are delaying the inevitable.
Reid
Have I mentioned I am the worst texter alive?
Annika
No need, I’ve experienced it firsthand.
Reid
I’ll swing by, you buy drinks this Friday.
Annika
deal
I tuck my phone back in my purse, successfully ducking the uncomfortable conversation that might’ve occurred if we continued. Besides, it’s girls’ day.
The first store on the list, titled “Tyler’s Thrift Crawl,” is more of a consignment shop, and the price tags were a bit steep for us.
Still, it was fun to look through some designer pieces and old furniture.
The second place is a few stores down and more up our alley.
We are flipping through the racks of clothes, I look up, and Chloe already has four articles of clothing slung over her shoulder.
She is furiously flipping through the hangers, quickly scanning each one until finding something satisfactory and flinging it over her shoulder with the others.
So far, I have found a pair of old Levi 501s and a sweet, oversized denim jacket in a beautiful sage green color.
The previous owner sewed patches along the shoulders.
There’s a patch with the space needle for Seattle, one of the rolling beach dunes, and even one with palm trees for California.
This is a gem, for sure. Thank you, Beyonce.
We are in the fifth store of the day when my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I didn’t find anything that interests me, but Chloe is making the thrift store worker bring down a painting of a cat that they have displayed on a shelf.
Reid
Dandy is alive and well, sleeping on the middle of the couch.
Annika
I just realized, I forgot to leave a key, how do you know this information?
Reid
I peered through the front window like a proper weirdo. I hope none of the neighbors saw me.
Annika
that explains the text I got from Miss Smith across the street, police are on their way.
Reid
Come visit me in prison
Annika
I’ll sneak in a can whipped cream for your prison coffee
Reid
I can always count on you <3
Hey, sorry if I made things weird, with the ping-pong thing.
Annika
no worries, it’s cool. I know you’re still upset I beat you
Reid
lol ya right, i demand a rematch!
but maybe we should talk about that, the whole thing, at some point.
I am about to respond but am halted by Chloe’s shriek.
“It’s perfect. It looks just like my Dandy!” Chloe turns to me, beaming a smile from ear to ear.
“Let’s hang it next to the postcards. We can make a gallery wall.”
We enter through our front door to a giddy kitten jumping from each of us.
We set our haul down and sprawl on the couches, taking turns trying on our finds and doing our best catwalks down the hallway leading to our bedrooms from the living room.
Chloe found a stunning sundress in aqua with a white and pastel yellow print that brightens her eyes.
“This was the best weekend I’ve had in years,” Chloe says, plopping down on the couch, a fuzzy Dandy in her arms.
“Same. We need to have girl days more often,” I say.
“Agreed,” Chloe says, yawning, eyes batting softly until she sinks into the couch, clearly tired from the long day.
I quietly head into the kitchen to make a snack and remember I never texted Reid back.
Annika
for you, i’m available…at some point :)
Reid’s birthday is on the Fourth of July, and we all agreed we would spend the day doing whatever he wanted.
He made sure to say at least three times that he wanted to avoid all the Fourth of July festivities and spend the day wandering different bookstores and record stores.
Chloe surprises him and says that he can pick out as many books as he wants from her bookstore within ninety seconds.
I’ve never seen him so excited before. Like a little kid in a candy store.
We let him take five minutes to look around before pulling him back to the entrance.
I have the timer ready on my phone and hit start.
He swiftly darts around the aisles, grabbing as many books as he can.
Tyler lists his selections as he picks them up, trailing behind Reid, darting from shelf to shelf.
“Fantasy! All three in the series!” Tyler says as he is on Reid’s tail. The sight of two grown men pacing around a bookstore is the funniest thing.
“He just took one of each of these graphic novels. Hope you got stock in the back, Chloe!”
Reid isn’t saying a word, concentrating on the books in front of him and darting over to the nonfiction section.
“Millennial Money and History of Film Photography were just added to the pile.” The last one is an interesting choice, I think.
The timer goes off, and Tyler holds Reid’s shoulders to stop him from grabbing books.
He saunters over to the registers with his haul and looks like the happiest boy in the world.
After our bookstore charade, we find an independent record store in a neighboring town that also has a cafe attached. Probably the best cafe fusion place I’ve been to yet. We sip lattes and flip through the stacks of records.
I am flipping through pop punk albums and stumble upon a Sum 41’s record All Killer No Filler.
Is it strange if I get this for him? We have been edging around the topic of our past. This could be another poke in the direction.
Sure, I’ve been avoiding it, but it feels like it needs to happen.
I’m just going to go for it. What the heck?
It is risky, but if that day on the beach is a memory for him like it is for me, it’s a happy one.
Just to be safe, I’ll throw a couple of other records on the stack.
We end the day at his Uncle Martin’s house, who lives near the hills.
His house is a spacious craftsman with a big backyard and patio.
Reid’s parents even drove up from the Bay Area.
It is my first time seeing Sean Parker since I was a kid, but he recognizes me instantly when I walk in and pulls me in for a big hug.
“I’m so happy you’re back in Reid’s life,” he says as we pull away.