25. What’s Going On?
What’s Going On?
Zoe
Two weeks. I don’t hear a thing from Leo in two whole weeks, and then he just shows up at the party, looking completely perfect and delicious.
I feel on edge, like I’m waiting but have no idea what I’m waiting for.
Is he going to ask me out again? Did he decide I was too much trouble? What if he hooked up with someone while he was gone and decided she’s a better choice? What if I keep waiting and he doesn’t come back to me? I keep looking out of my window, wondering if he’s going to be standing outside my house with a boombox above his head or something, and as ridiculous as that would be, I’m disappointed every time he’s not there.
The thing is, I don’t even know for sure what I want. If he turned up asking me out again, would I say yes?
I can’t stop thinking about him, and it’s driving me insane.
‘What is up with you?’
Missy asks from the floor, and I blink my attention into the room to find them all staring at me.
‘Oh, honey, wherever you just were, it looked painful.’ Bree smiles, but her eyebrows pinch.
‘You were away with the fairies. You okay?’ Cara’s sweet Scottish accent makes me take a breath.
‘I’m fine, sorry. I just haven’t been sleeping too good.’
‘For good reasons?’ Missy waggles her eyebrows suggestively, and I shrug, then hold out my glass for her to refill my wine.
‘Just insomnia. I don’t know why, but I know I’m tired.’
‘Have you tried masturbation?’
All attention snaps to Cara, who flushes an adorable shade of pink.
‘Oh my god, my brother turned you into a menace,’ Bree teases, and I laugh. When we met Cara, she’d never had an orgasm and never even considered touching herself, and now she’s freely suggesting it as a sleeping pill.
‘I just, it’s…’
We all laugh as Cara covers her face with a cushion. I love this. I grew up mostly hanging out with guys. Bree was my only real girlfriend, and she is my twin. Now we have friends. Cara came into our lives, and we immediately clicked, and now we know for sure she’ll be our sister one day, as there’s not a chance in hell she and Doug won’t get married. And then there’s Missy, and my god, do I love that woman. She’s what my grandma would call a little firecracker — small but packs a hell of a punch. She’s funny as hell, but she has the biggest heart. We don’t get to see her as much as we’d like because she doesn’t live in town, and she has a little boy and a jackass ex to deal with, but I’m so thankful that we have them.
‘We get it. You’re sleeping like a baby these days.’ I laugh, and she blushes further. ‘To answer your question, yes, I’ve tried everything,’ I admit before taking a huge gulp of wine. ‘Nothing is working.’
‘We should go to a spa. Maybe a massage and a day relaxing are what you need,’ Missy suggests, and I smile. That does sound nice.
‘Yes, let’s do that.’ Cara agrees and pulls out her phone.
‘You girls start looking.’ Bree stands. ‘Twinnie, can you give me a hand in the kitchen?’
I take a breath, knowing damn well she doesn’t need my help, and follow her out.
‘What is going on with you?’ she whispers when we’re alone.
‘Nothin’.’ I shrug, and she folds her arms across her chest. ‘Jesus, fine. I can’t stop thinking about,’ I look behind me to check we’re still alone, ‘ him, and it’s driving me crazy.’
‘Thinking about him how?’
‘He asked me out and then disappeared. I said no, and now he’s not getting in touch, and I think I’ve pushed him too far, but he said he was going to prove we should do this, and I don’t know what I want, Bree, but then seeing him this weekend and him looking so…’
‘Oh, sweetie, breathe.’ My sister pulls me into a tight hug, and I relax against her. ‘Call him.’
‘I can’t, twinnie. I don’t know if I can do this with him, but I can’t get him out of my head. It’s not fair to call him unless I’m sure.’
‘You can do this with him, and you should , and if I were you, I would take control of this situation and tell him you want to, but I know you. I know you’re going to go back and forth on this until your head is spinning, and you can’t see which way is up because I know what worries you about this, but trust me when I tell you it’ll be okay. They will all be okay with this.’
‘We got it.’ Missy calls out from the living room, and Bree squeezes my shoulders.
‘Maybe a day at the spa will give you some clarity.’
The spa that Missy and Cara found was incredible.
We’ve had an amazing day, and I feel so relaxed for the first time in so long. Now, some time and some tea with Mama to round up my day: perfect.
As I walk up the porch steps, I hear Mama’s laugh, loud and clear, and hope I’m not about to walk in on her and Merv in a compromising position — again .
‘Knock, knock,’ I call out as I open the door and walk in with my hand over my eyes. ‘Merv, pull your pants back up.’
‘Oh, Zoe,’ Mama shrieks, then giggles, and there’s another laugh, but it’s not Merv’s, and I know it well.
Dropping my hand, I widen my eyes, and they land on the mischievous green ones I’ve been unable to stop thinking about.
‘Hey, munch,’ he smiles. ‘Do I need to pull my pants up too?’
I swallow hard and glance between him and Mama.
‘Leo, what’s… what are you doing here?’
‘What, I can’t visit with my favorite Campbell?’
Mama swats at him playfully, and he grins, wide and genuine. He loves Lynnie. I know that for sure.
‘You can, it’s just, I didn’t um—’ I’m flustered, Jesus. Get it together, Zoe. ‘I didn’t know you were still in town.’
‘Sit down, Zoe. I’ll get you some tea.’
As I move toward the table, Leo stands to pull out my chair . Goddammit , he’s making it all worse. The scent of him fills my nostrils, and the spa day may as well have not happened — I’m not sleeping tonight.
‘Thank you,’ I say softly, not trusting my own voice not to betray me.
‘Leo is still in town because Buck and Lucy finally set a date for the wedding.’ Mama places down my tea, and joy fills me up.
‘What? They did?’
‘Yeah, but they agreed to just go to the courthouse and get it done quietly. Lucy thinks they’re too old for a fuss,’ he explains.
‘What? No ,’ I protest. We all love Buck and Lucy, and they deserve their day.
‘So, Buck’s throwing them a real wedding,’ Mama says excitedly, clutching her hands in front of her. ‘Lucy doesn’t know.’
I look from her to Leo, who laughs, low and slow, then nods.
‘Yeah, we’re thinking maybe Cara will let us use her place.’
‘When is it?’
‘Three weeks.’
My mouth falls open.
‘Jesus, they wait twenty years, then just dive right in, huh?’
Mama and Leo laugh. We’ve all been waiting for this day for so long.
‘Well, I should get going. Pop wants me to help him get it all set.’
He stands, then leans down to kiss Mama’s cheek before walking toward me and leaning in to kiss mine. My heart pounds, and my eyes close as his proximity affects me.
‘See you later, munch.’
He steps away, and I inhale deeply before opening my eyes and turning to look at him.
‘Leo,’ I call. He stops and looks back. ‘You’ll let me know if you need anything. For the wedding, I mean.’ I hear the shake in my voice, and I feel the racing of my heart.
He smiles. ‘Sure I will.’
And then he’s gone. I turn back to find Mama clearing the table with a smirk on her face.
‘What are you smiling at?’
‘Nothin’’
‘Lynnette Campbell, you reek of mischief. What’s going on?’
‘Zoe, sweetheart.’ She straightens and looks me dead in the eye. ‘If you want to keep secrets, you need to work on your poker face.’
Fuck .