Chapter 11 #2
There’s a light pink blush across my cheeks and the bridge of my nose.
My freckles look even more prominent against the inflamed skin.
The wash cloth won’t make the specks of brown disappear, no matter how hard I scrub.
My hand floats over the doorknob, but I’m scared to open the door and see what Riley wants us to do with the rest of today.
All I want to do is order food and curl up on the bed.
Riley very rarely wants to lounge around.
And if she does want to lounge, she wants to make us do a themed activity.
Paint by numbers with wine—something like that.
Usually, I love her for it. Her zest for life and the way she makes anything and everything into an event is something I envy, but the last thing I want is an event before the event. I’m maxed out.
An audible sigh escapes me when I finally open the door and see Riley sitting criss-cross on her bed, decked out in the same robe as me with a white towel on her head. There’s a tray of food in front of her and it doesn’t look healthy or farm fresh. It looks greasy, exactly what I need.
There’s a twin tray on my own bed, and I flop myself behind it without hesitation. The mozzarella stick crunches in my mouth and I hold back a moan. “Ugh, thank you, Ri.”
She smiles at me and holds one of her mozzarella sticks up in a cheers. “It’s your big day tomorrow.”
I finish chewing. “You don’t want to go out?”
Riley shrugs and I almost believe her, but I catch her glance at the door. She does want to go out, but she can tell I want to—no need to—stay in. It warms my heart that she finally notices my needs without me having to ask.
She’s not a bad friend—really, she’s not. It’s just that sometimes she moves too fast, and she forgets to look at what’s going on around her. Usually, I don’t mind. I don’t need anyone to look back and check that I’m okay. It’s nice to have someone notice sometimes, though.
We spend the afternoon eating and chatting. There’s some stupid reality TV show on in the background. Riley explains it to me, but I can’t find it in myself to care. I only want to lay here and be with my best friend without having to feign excitement or muster a smile.
The sun sets, and it’s golden beams make their way through the linen curtains. I roll myself off my queen bed and drag Riley off of hers. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk downtown.”
She looks skeptical. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, look how beautiful it is outside.” I motion to the golden Wyoming skies.
The smile that spreads across her face is contagious. My cheeks crack as I smile back, the sunburn worse than I realized. Her finger tips reach out to feel the hot skin on my face.
“Addie.”
“I know. I know.” Riley is always on me about sunscreen. It’s as annoying as it is helpful.
She shrugs. “Hopefully it turns to a tan and brings out your freckles.”
Riley loves to tell me I should let my freckles show. I don’t typically wear much makeup, but I do always wear tinted sunscreen that covers my freckles in a sheen of beige. I don’t know why she thinks they’re an asset. Like my mom always told me, they look like dirt splatter I forgot to wash off.
Silently, we get dressed. Riley is wearing a frilly yellow dress that, on anyone else, would look ridiculous. On her, it looks effortless. She jumps as she squeezes her legs into her extra tall cowboy boots.
I think about wearing mine too, but I reach for my vans instead.
They’re much more comfortable anyways. My jeans are snug at my thighs, then taper down into a slight flare, and my tank top just barely grazes the top of the waist line.
I stare at myself in the reflection of the screen as I braid my hair into it’s usual position.
Riley sneaks up behind me and puts a cowboy hat on my head.
The girl looking back at me looks cute—sure of herself—so I keep the hat on.
Being a temporary vagabond has its positives.
I decide to let myself cosplay a free spirited country girl for one more night.
Changing my mind, I commit to the bit by pulling on those pink boots, and my mind drifts to Reid for just a second before I turn my attention back to Riley.
We walk the streets of downtown Jackson, taking in the watercolor sunset. Everything is painted in a light shimmer of gold and pink, a film photograph brought to life. The rustic wood and weather-worn paint looks charming now instead of dilapidated.
In this light, the mountain in the distance looks more inviting than daunting. I stand there in the middle of the sidewalk, letting the last remnants of sun warm my face. I’m imploring my subconscious to remember this feeling instead of the feeling of failure.
Riley skips down the street, and I join her despite myself. We live our best tourist life exploring the various shops and knickknacks until the sky turns dark. There’s a thickness in the air still that doesn’t seem like it’s going away anytime soon.
I text Reid before I can talk myself out of it. ‘You should sleep in Willa tonight. It’s hot.’
Before I can see those three little bubbles pop up, I shove my phone into my pocket. Then, I turn to Riley and say, “Let’s go do one dance before we head home.”
We order Shirley temples and I feel a little like a kid, in a good way. Proudly, I present my perfectly tied cherry stem to the bartender who doubted me. Country line dances pull us in until we realize the time and for once, Riley shoves me out of the bar.
“Time for bed, little shredder.”
I’m not sure where she learned that term but I listen. I let myself relax as she drags me down the street.