Chapter 37
“Hey, is Ry not acting like himself, or am I just imaging stuff?” I ask Julien who is deftly flipping burgers on the grill.
My brother motions for the plate in my hand with a chin lift and I hold it out for him.
“He seems fine to me. Maybe a little off, but the guy did just fly practically around the world in a day.”
“Yeah, I think your math is a little screwy, but I get your point.”
I watch as Liz and the girls come outside to the back patio with Darrel.
Liz heads straight for Ryder, who is reclining back in one of the lounge chairs.
He settles her between his legs, and she leans back against him.
A pang of instant jealousy fires as I watch them, wishing more than anything that his and my roles were reversed.
Elijah breaks from Trevor and Davis who continue to toss a football back and forth.
“Food about ready, cause I’m starving?” Elijah says, giving Julien a kiss.
“Patience, babe,” Julien tells him, earning another kiss from Elijah.
I’m so proud of my brother for not hiding who he is anymore.
He and Elijah were afraid to come out as a couple for a long time, thinking that me and all our friends would shun them.
My gaze bounces around to everyone out here.
We’re really lucky to have such great friends.
Especially Liz. She always had Jules’s and Elijah’s backs, and she was the one who encouraged my brother to go for it with Elijah.
I’ve never seen Jules happier than he has been this past year
Julien closes the grill hood, turns off the gas, and hangs the spatula on the hook at the side. “The person who is most definitely acting weird is Hailey. She and Brea have been locked in her bedroom all evening.”
“She’s been gone a long time,” I remind him. Nine months. “We don’t know where she’s been or what she’s been through.”
Naturally, my mind goes to disturbing thoughts about what could have happened to her. Because of our relationship with Liz, Hailey became like a little sister to me, Jules, and Ry. If there is anything I can do to help her, I’d like to try.
“Food!” Julien calls out, and everybody scrambles over to the patio table. Daniel brought out plates he made of burger toppings: cheese slices, lettuce, pickles, onions, and tomatoes, along with some buns he heated and wrapped in aluminum foil to stay warm.
Liz skips over and squeezes between me and Elijah. I hip check her and she returns the bump, smiling at me. “I’m going to make plates for Hailey and Brea. I highly doubt Hailey is going to join us,” Liz says as she grabs two paper plates
“I brought the stuff,” I tell her, keeping my voice down to avoid eavesdroppers. “It’s in my truck.”
Her eyes light up. “Tonight is going to be so awesome. It’s also going to get so messy. I can’t wait.
Liz and I were always partners-in-crime growing up. I’m glad she can now remember those times again.
“Would you mind making Ryder a burger so I can take this stuff to the girls?” Liz asks me. “He’s still not feeling well. You know what toppings he likes.”
My gaze slides over to Ry who has his eyes closed. “I got him,” I assure her, and she bounces up to kiss my cheek.
“Thanks. Be right back.”
Ry and I eat the same toppings on our burgers, so I walk over with the plate I fixed for myself. “Hey, man. I’ve been assigned as your waiter tonight,” I joke.
He opens one eye and slowly sits up, rubbing his hands up and down his face.
“Thanks. I don’t know why I’m so freaking tired lately.”
I sit down at the edge of the lounger. “Not to sound like a dick, but you don’t look so hot.”
“It’s just a bug. Mom used to tell me that whenever she flew, she’d get sick. I guess I inherited those genes.”
“Can I ask something and then I promise to drop it?”
Ry takes a bite of the burger, chews slowly, then puts the plate down on the small round table next to the lounger
“If it’s about the burger, I would say it needs a few strips of bacon added to the top.
“Not what I was going to ask,” I tell him, smiling at how much easier things feel right now between us.
I look at my best friend. The guy who has been by my side through thick and thin since the third grade. Ry and I may be on opposite sides when it comes to who dates Liz, but we’ve always been on the same side with everything else.
Getting back to the topic of conversation I wanted to talk with him about, I ask him, “Liz didn’t say much about Fallon this morning. Anything I need to be aware of?”
My stomach clenches, thinking that his answer will be that she and Fallon hooked up while on their trip, or whatever it was they were off doing.
It’s something I’ve stopped myself from thinking too much about.
Fallon and I aren’t exactly bosom buddies, so picturing them together makes me want to punch something.
“No. They’re just friends. He cares about her, and I think she has a bit of hero worship going when it comes to him. I would suggest not saying anything about him in front of her though, or she may rip your head off.”
My eyebrows rise so high, I think they disappear into my hairline. “And you’re okay with him stepping in the way he did?
After Ry told me and Julien that Liz had gone off with Fallon, let’s just say that I was not the most pleasant person to be around. Ry and I fought and argued about it, but we never sat down and talked.
“He’s a good guy, Jay. I know you’ve never seen that side of him, but he is. Fal did what we couldn’t. He helped her heal. He brought back our girl.”
Ry shocks the hell out of me when he says Liz is our girl.
“I’ll concede to that. Since coming home, she seems happier. It’s nice having her smile at me now after all the scowls she had given me over the past few months.
“She still loves you, Jay. Deep down, you know that, right?
I swear to God, this guy. How can he be so flipping noble and altruistic? Ry really is the best of us.
“You sure you’re okay?” I ask him when he shifts on the lounger and winces
“Yeah. I’m good.” He leans his head back and closes his eyes
I reach over and pick up his burger since he’s not eating it. It’s cold, but I still take a few bites.
“I asked Liz if we could hang tomorrow. She said yes, but I wanted to make sure that was alright with you.”
“She already told me, and yeah, it’s alright. Like I told her, you don’t need my permission. And it’ll give me a chance to get some sleep and hopefully kick this virus.”
“You know if you’re sick, Liz will be worrying about you all day. I’ll have Jules drop by and check on you while we’re out.”
Ry produces a half-hearted grin. “Do you remember her baking us those cookies when we all got the flu in fifth grade?”
I’m laughing at the memory. “She used salt instead of sugar. I think those were the nastiest things I’ve ever eaten.
“We still ate all of them because we didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I was up all night, puking, and not from the flu.”
“Liz would climb across the oak tree between our houses whenever Julien or I were sick. She’d bring us get-well cards or care packages, or she’d sit on a branch of the tree and play her guitar. I miss that. She doesn’t play her guitar much anymore.”
“Hopefully, we can help her find her music again. Fallon said she was playing the piano and writing music in Barcelona. Apparently, she got on stage with some Irish band in London. He was supposed to send me the videos. I guess he forgot.”
“I would have loved to have seen her up on stage. Maybe we can get her to play for us tonight like old times. I’m still in disbelief that Liz visited all those places in Europe in the span of a couple of weeks.”
“Fallon never does anything half-assed,” Ry remarks
Ry and I look across the patio when we hear Celeste’s shriek. Davis has her thrown over his shoulder. He’s carrying her and both their plates of food
“Can’t take this girl anywhere without her expecting me to carry her,” Davis jests.
Celeste smacks him on the rear since she’s hanging over his shoulder, Raggedy-Ann-style. Davis is built like a Mac truck which translates into he was built to play football. Colleges have been courting him since junior year
Celeste thumps his back with her fist. “You are such a big, fat liar, Davis Miller. I have two perfectly good legs to walk on. Who threw whom over their shoulder like a Neanderthal? Now kindly put me down.
I take the paper plates he’s balancing with one hand. Once he has use of both hands, he flips Celeste in a three-sixty. It’s quite impressive. Like some cheerleader-gymnastics move. He easily catches her after he somersaults her into a forward flip.
She giggles up at him, and he attacks her mouth with a lascivious kiss
“You are so whooped,” I tell him when they come up for air
“Yes, I am,” he happily agrees. He looks down at his pixie girlfriend. “Sit, woman, and eat. You’re thin enough as it is.”
Celeste gasps and pops her hand on her hip. “Don’t you dare—”
Davis kisses her again. “Sit and eat.
“You are so boss—
He kisses her a third time. “Please sit and eat.”
“Okay,” she sighs raggedly and immediately sits down. He kissed the sass right out of her.
I swear, I will never understand the female mind. Do they want to be bossed around or not? Is there a protocol to follow to know when you can tell them what to do? If Liz heard me talking to her like Davis did to Celeste, she would smack me.
“Where’d Elizabeth go?” Trevor asks, taking a seat next to his sister and Darrel.
Jules and Elijah commandeer the space on the other side of the lounger. Before retreating into the house, Daniel turned on the patio heaters, so it’s nice and toasty-warm where we’re sitting.
“She’s inside with Hailey,” I tell him.
“That’s right. The mysterious sister. Well, I guess not to you guys since you knew her before.”
Speaking of Liz, she walks back out, bundled up in more winter garb. She’s added a hat with kitty-cat ears and a long white scarf.
“Brea and Hailey are watching a Hallmark movie. Go figure. Any food left for me?”
I get up and insist Liz take my seat on the lounger with Ry. “I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks, Jayson. So, what did I miss?” she asks the group.
As I make her a plate, I hear the guys asking Liz questions about where she’s been, and once she tells them about her memories returning, they ask her more questions about that. Meredith and Celeste chime in with details that Liz must have already told them.
Making sure to put extra mustard on her hamburger, I take the food to her.
“Don’t let me forget to give you your presents before you leave. I got everyone a little something,” Liz tells everyone.
“She already gave me mine!” Meredith happily proclaims, pulling back her coat sleeve and showing us the silver charm bracelet.
Celeste clucks her tongue in approval. “I didn’t notice that in the bedroom. Lizzie, you really didn’t have to get us anything, but I never say no to free swag.”
Liz finishes her burger in record time, and I give her a look that says, now? She nods yes and gets up. “Anybody want anything else? I’m going to get some sodas. Jayson, can you help me?”
“Yep,” I play along, standing up too
“Can I have a diet?” Meredith asks, and Liz gives her a thumbs up.
We walk straight through the house, past the kitchen, and out the front door to my truck. Opening the passenger door, Liz starts laughing hysterically.
“Think you bought enough shaving cream?” she asks, looking at the twenty canisters piled on the seat.
“That’s all they had.”
“I was being facetious, Jayson.”
I mock her back. “So was I, Liz.”
We spend the next ten minutes filling all the balloons with shaving cream. Liz is in charge of tying the knots in each balloon because I suck at it. We put everything inside a large, plastic yard bag I also brought.
“Come on. We’re probably causing a scandal with how long we’ve been gone,” I tell her, carrying the heavy bag in one hand as we sneak around the side of the house.
Liz holds a hand over her mouth to stop her giggles from escaping. As we reach the backyard, she taps me on the arm and motions for me to open the bag. Reaching in, she grabs two filled balloons.
“Shhh,” she whispers, tiptoeing through the darkness. Right when we get within throwing distance of where the group is sitting, white, wet flakes start falling
“Oh my gosh! It’s snowing!” Meredith squeals and hops up to dance around with her tongue out as the snow starts coming down hard.
Liz gives me a nod and shouts, “Snowball fight!” as she hurls a balloon at Trevor who is nearest to where we’re standing.
Trevor whirls around in our direction when he hears Liz. “What the—”
Shaving foam explodes everywhere, coating him from head to toe. Liz gives a cheer, pumping her fist in the air in victory.
“Oh, you’re so dead, Elizabeth!” Trevor shouts. He hurdles the patio railing and lands on the ground next to us.
Liz grabs two more balloons and sprints off, bellowing, “Not if you can’t catch me!”
Everyone, including Ry, runs over to grab balloons from the bag that I’ve now left on the ground. No way am I standing there like a dumbass and getting pelted by shaving cream bombs.
Chaos ensues as we all chase each other around the backyard. Hailey and Brea come outside to see what the ruckus is about, and they too join the crazy fray after Brea gets hit in the chest by a balloon Ry launches at her.
I hear Trevor say, “Hey, I’m Trevor. You must be Hailey,” before pelting her in the leg with a balloon.
She takes off after him, shaving cream flying off her clothes as she runs, a wide smile across her face.
Daniel comes out with a camera and starts snapping pictures.
We know better than to make him a target in our shaving cream war.
Needless to say, by the time we are out of balloons, everyone is covered in foam and snow like one big melting snowman family. Daniel takes one last picture of all of us, our arms linked, as we stand side-by-side like idiots with goofy grins. It’s a night I don’t think any of us will soon forget.