Chapter 21 Genevieve
Genevieve
One day later.
Yesterday, my mind was consumed with thoughts of Aspen. We didn’t text or call, and I couldn’t shake the worry that he might be second-guessing the whole “friends” thing. But when I woke up this morning and checked my phone, there it was—a message from him.
Aspen: “Call tonight?”
Is all it says. Ahh! He wants to call tonight!
I respond–
Me: Yes!
I start jumping on my bed like a kid in a bounce house.
Lucky for me, Lana’s already in class, so she won’t catch me acting this silly.
If she did, I’d never hear the end of it.
Lana's a hopeless romantic—totally the opposite of me. She’s convinced fairytales are real and that Hallmark movies aren’t just fiction.
I unfortunately witnessed my parents getting divorced, so I don’t really believe in love. All I know is Aspen makes me feel a type of way that feels like what I think love would feel like.
If that makes sense.
My phone buzzes and I glance at the screen.
Speak of the devil. Mom.
Perfect.
I sigh and swipe to answer, already bracing myself. “Hey, Evie. How’s my girl doing?” Her voice chimes, chipper and rushed, with the faint clatter of hospital chaos humming in the background.
“Hey, Mom. I’m good—just getting ready for the day,” I say, placing her on speaker while I start making my bed. I always feel more in control when I’m doing something—anything—while she talks.
“I saw your credit card statement. Looks like you were in Colorado this weekend,” she says casually.
Busted.
“Yeah, I was on break from school and figured I’d sneak in some skiing,” I tell her, keeping my voice light.
“Mmhmm. So, dodging time with your mother, I see.”
Classic.
I roll my eyes, even though she can’t see it. She’s got this way of layering guilt into everything, like it’s her own special seasoning.
“It’s not that, Mom. I just know you’ve been swamped with work,” I reply, trying to stay neutral.
“Yes, but I still miss my daughter... even if she doesn’t miss me,” she adds with a dramatic sigh.
There it is. The guilt trip.
She always plays this game—twisting things, making me feel like the bad guy, even though she’s the one who vanished after the divorce.
Missed runway shows. Missed volleyball games.
Missed my entire high school graduation just because she didn’t want to chance running into my dad.
Yet according to her, I’m the one who’s distant.
Work was always more important to her than me.
“I do miss you, Mom. Don’t say that,” I say quietly, even though it feels more like damage control than truth.
“Well, good! I’m glad to hear that, because I just bought you a ticket to come visit me over winter break.”
And there it is. The trap.
“Great. Sounds nice,” I lie through gritted teeth. “I’ve gotta get ready for chemistry, but I’ll talk to you later,” I lie again.
“Alright then, I wouldn’t want my daughter, the future doctor, to be late. Everything you learn in class is so important. Have fun!”
“K, thanks. Bye!”
I end the call before she can say anything else, toss my phone onto the bed, and drop onto the edge beside it.
God.
Seeing her is the last thing I want to do over break.
She does this every time—tries to buy closeness like it’ll erase the years she wasn’t there. Shopping trips, fancy dinners, introductions to her surgeon friends—like each encounter might spark some buried desire in me to follow in her footsteps, just like my brothers did.
But I’m not her. I never will be.
And no amount of vacations or guilt-soaked phone calls can make up for the way she ghosted me when I needed her the most. My brothers practically raised me in those last couple years of high school. They’re the ones who showed up. Who actually saw me.
And for that, I’ll spend the rest of my life being grateful.
They gave me the kind of love that didn’t need to be bought.
***
Somehow I made it through the whole day without going crazy. It’s funny how now all I look forward to is talking to Aspen, but I’m not surprised. I have nothing else going on in my life at the moment, and the little bit of time I spent with him meant more to me than I’d care to admit.
It’s when my phone rings for the second time today the butterflies in my stomach flutter. Unlike earlier, when my mom called and my stomach sank. I pick up after the third ring to play it cool.
“Hello?” I say into the phone.
“Hey Genevieve, how are you?” He asks.
“I’m good, how are you?” I ask him.
“I’m good too. Look I’ll just cut to the chase–” he says. My heart skips a beat. “I miss you. I feel like we didn’t have enough time and I was wondering if you would like to come back. I know it’s a lot to ask but–”
“I’ll come!” I say interrupting him. I clear my throat, “I mean, I’ll look at my schedule first and get back to you, but I’d love to,” I add. I don’t want to sound desperate, that would be embarrassing.
“Wow! That was easier than I thought,” he says. I can practically hear him smiling through the phone and I’m happy I was the one who put that smile there.
“Well, just let me know when you want me to come and I’ll try to be there,” I tell him.
He lets out a shy laugh. “Yeah so I was actually gonna ask if you could come tomorrow. I know it’s late notice, but Derek just told me his dad got in a car accident and has to go down to Louisiana to take care of him for a few days and is leaving tomorrow,” he says.
My heart couldn’t be racing any faster as he continues, “I know we just met, but I have a good feeling about you Genevieve, and I want to see it through. I just don’t have the time to take off from work, and I know you have school so I completely understand if you can’t come, but I thought maybe even for the weekend would be nice,” he finishes.
“So Derek won’t be there? It will be just us two?” I ask him.
“Just us two,” he confirms.
Wow. He has no idea that missing school doesn’t bother me, but this is still a big ask.
Normally I’d want Lana there, just in case Aspen had any bad intentions I might have misjudged from our first meeting.
But something tells me I don’t have to worry.
I trust him. I don’t think he’d ever intentionally hurt me. Aspen’s one of the good guys.
I think.
The only thing is school. As much as I don’t want to do it, I have to finish or my mom will cut me off. I need to pass math and the only way to do that is to catch up on the assignments I’ve missed.
“If I’m being honest, I don’t know if I can come. I’m really behind in my math class and I have to pass,” I tell him.
“Well lucky for you, I’m a total math wiz. I can help you finish up some of your assignments, this way you can come,” he says. “I promise, we will actually get stuff done.”
Who knew Aspen was a math wiz? He continues to surprise me.
“I’ll be there,” I tell him.
I don’t need to ponder the thought any longer.
“Great! I’m so excited to see you Genevieve. I’ve really missed you,” he says it like he doesn’t know he’s making my heart burst.
“I’ve missed you too, Aspen,” I tell him back.
“Goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asks.
“Goodnight, see you tomorrow,” I reply.
Lana arrives back at the dorm just as I press end on the phone call and she looks like she’s about to fall asleep standing up. I don’t know how this girl does it.
“Hey, Babe, how was class?” I ask her.
“Good, I’m just exhausted,” she replies, throwing her books on her desk.
“You look it! Look I have some news,” I tell her. By now she’s taken off her backpack full of bricks and plopped herself on her bed. She’s laying there, looking like she’s playing dead.
“I’m going back to Colorado tomorrow, Aspen invited me.”
She shoots back up into a sitting position and her jaw is dropped. Well that revived her.
“I’m sorry, what?! You’re going where? When? Because of him??” She asks.
“Colorado, tomorrow, yes,” I say, answering all of her questions.
She looks like she’s processing what I’m saying.
“Gen, have you not seen a thriller movie before? The girl always dies. It was fun for a weekend, but going back there to stay with him, alone? That’s just asking for problems,” she says like she’s my mother.
She’s honestly acting more proactive than my mother would in this situation, but I try to ignore that fact.
“Babe, I know you’re just looking out for me, but I trust Aspen. He’s a good guy and he said he just missed me and I’m not gonna lie… I miss him too,” I tell her, biting my lip. Now I’ve lost her, her eyes are bulging out of her eyes.
“You miss him?! Gen, you barely know the guy! This is not like a Hallmark movie, this feels like a horror movie! I know you had fun and all, but please, this feels stupider than most of your ideas,” she says.
Ouch.
“Lana, I’m going. With or without your approval. You’re not my mom!” I shout.
Lana looks down and if I know her, tears are starting to form, and in that moment, I know I went too far.
“I’m sorry Lana. I didn’t mean to snap. I love you, but I really want to do this. I promise I’ll be safe. I’ll text you everyday,” I tell her.
“You better call me, I won’t know if it’s actually you texting,” she says looking back up changing her demeanor completely. This girl.
“Okay, I’ll call you. Now be happy for me!”
“Of course I’m happy for you! Let’s come up with a code word you can text me just in case though,” she says.
“Okay, how about, hot tub ?” I ask her.
She gives me the biggest scowl. “How about no?” she says. “Instead of hot tub , let's go with… pizza !” She shouts.
“Okay, pizza it is,” I agree. “Now help me pack!”
I grab my suitcase from under my bed that I had just put there not even two days ago and unzip it open on my bed and we get to packing.
Am I being to presumptuous if I pack some lingerie?