16. Chapter Sixteen
“What are you making?” Alyssa asks from behind me before leaning against the counter.
I startle, holding a hand to my heart. I’ve been jumpier since Tyler told me I’d started a war. I’m not sure when or how he’ll prank me, hence the jumpiness.
Once I’ve composed myself, I hold up the empty bag. “A teenage classic: pizza rolls.”
“It never ceases to amaze me how you can eat like that every day and still look that good.” She gestures to my body.
I strike a pose. “Why, thank you.”
Alyssa grabs my phone off the counter. “You’ve got a text.” She makes a kissy face. “It’s from Tyler .”
I grab my phone from her. “You’re making something out of nothing.”
“Mm-hmm, sure. Tell me that in another month.”
I sigh. There’s no use in arguing with her about this.
“Well, what does it say?” she asks.
TYLER
I’m not sure what your plans are tonight, but Evie has an art show at the school in thirty minutes.
I know it’s last minute, but having you there would mean a lot to her.
ME
I’ll be there.
TYLER
Great, see you then.
“He wanted to invite me to Evie’s art show tonight.”
“Did you say yes?”
I nod. The air fryer beeps, and I use a spatula to scoop the pizza rolls from the tray onto my plate. “Evie deserves to have as many people supporting her as possible, especially since her mom isn’t here.”
I bite into a pizza roll, burning the roof of my mouth with the molten filling inside. I cover my mouth with my hand and blow out the heat.
“Is there some kind of science behind why they’re always lava hot or cold?” I’m like Goldilocks; I want it just right.
“You did shove it in your mouth right out of the air fryer, but you’re not wrong. With those, you have to pick a painful death for the roof of your mouth or a cold filling.”
“I would usually let it cool a little, but I have to leave in ten minutes, and I need to put on a little bit of makeup.” I eat another one, biting the corner off this time to let the steam escape before eating the filling.
“You need to put on makeup for a kindergarten art show?” Alyssa doesn’t even bother trying to hide her smile.
“I’m not putting on makeup for Tyler if that’s what you’re implying.” I swat her arm. “I already wiped off my makeup when I got home from watching Evie. I’m only putting a little back on.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Alyssa smiles before grabbing her purse from the kitchen table.
“Where are you going on a Wednesday night?”
“I have a date.”
“With who?”
She tightens the cream-colored silk scarves around her space buns. “Peter,” she mumbles.
“You’re going out with him again?”
“I thought I’d give him another shot. See if he’s changed.” She shrugs nonchalantly.
I wrinkle my nose. “I thought you said he never wanted to get married. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
“It’s just dinner. I’ll be fine.” Alyssa glances at the time. “I have to leave now if I’m going to make it.” She wiggles her fingers in a small wave. “Have fun with the hot doctor.”
I finish my remaining pizza rolls, which are now, of course, cold. I head upstairs, swipe mascara on my lashes, and add a little bit of blush to my cheeks before heading to my car. Even though I don’t have extra time, I still pull up my social media and send a DM to Austin Bradford, Alyssa’s friend . He has over a million followers, but we’ve messaged on here before, so hopefully he’ll see my text.
ME
Hey Austin. Lyss is on another date with Peter. *eye roll emoji* If you’re free later, she might need you.
Alyssa is beautiful and has the biggest heart…but she’s terrible at choosing men. There have been multiple times I’ve messaged Austin in the past, under similar circumstances, to cheer her up in a way only he seems to be able to. It’s like his kind, steady presence gives her hope that there are still good men out there in the world.
I’m still waiting for the day they stop avoiding the inevitable and kiss already. But for now, at least Austin can cheer up one of my besties in a way my other roomies and I are unable to.
Arriving at the school in the nick of time, I lock my car and hurry into the building. I walk through the rows of artwork until I finally spot Tyler’s tall, muscular stature among the crowd. When I reach him, I see Evie’s name under the art on the wall.
“Oh, this is lovely.” I stare at the painting, trying to figure out what it is. The background is painted a deep blue, and there are white, oddly shaped squiggle lines and a white circle on it.
“Ms. Kelsey, you came!” Evie wraps her arms around my legs. “It’s the night sky. I worked so hard on the stars.” She points at the squiggles. “Do you like them?”
“I do.” I smile, kneeling to hug her. “They look so life-like that you almost made me think I was outside.”
Evie giggles. “Do you think I’ll win a ribbon?”
“I’m not sure, but what’s important is that you submitted your art and did your very best.”
“I did try my best, but I’ll be sad if I don’t win.” Her chin quivers, tugging at my heartstrings.
“You’re allowed to be sad.” I squeeze her shoulders. “We don’t always win everything we want, but putting yourself out there, knowing that you may not win, is very brave.”
She falls into my arms, squeezing me tight. I glance at Tyler as I hug her back. He mouths thank you , and I offer him a soft smile in return.
Evie wraps her small hand around my fingers. “Come see my friends’ paintings.” She escorts me and Tyler around the show, pointing out all the artwork from the other kids in her class.
When we come back around to her painting, a white ribbon hangs from the corner.
Evie runs over and points to it. “What does it say, Uncle Ty?”
“You won third place, Eves.” He picks her up and spins her around while she squeals in delight. Tyler pulls her against his chest. “I’m so proud of you, and I know your mom will be too.”
If my view of Tyler wasn’t completely altered at dinner this past weekend, it is now. I feel the switch flip in my brain. It’s staggering, like being in a dark room that suddenly shines with the brightest floodlights. All of the harsh things I thought about him, now illuminated by all the positive things I’ve seen him do for Evie and Darla…and even for me.
But that doesn’t mean my view of what I want in the future has changed. I still don’t plan on getting married or settling down. So, maybe the best thing for Tyler and me right now is some distance, because if I keep watching him be all cute with his niece, I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to resist getting to know the man behind all those muscles.
Tyler told me that I had started a war on Monday, so the fact that I’ve made it to Friday unscathed has me feeling unnerved. After the coffee is done brewing, I grab my favorite mug. I’m about to pour the liquid joy into my mug, but something at the bottom of it catches my eye.
“What the—”
I flip the mug over, catching a miniature rubber duck in my palm.
“How did you get there, little guy?” I place him on the kitchen table and finish making my coffee.
Throughout the rest of my day, I find more miniature ducks everywhere. In my makeup bag. In my favorite pair of white platform sneakers. On the handle of the leashes for my dog-walking gig. In my sunglasses case. On my car seat. In the drink holder in my car.
By the time I pick Evie up from school, I’ve found at least twenty of them. She gets into my car, and I help buckle her into the booster seat. Evie giggles when she sees multiple ducks on my dashboard.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where these came from, would you?” I raise an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror.
Her giggling intensifies until she’s full-on belly laughing. She reaches into her backpack and grabs a handful of the little ducks.
“ You hid them all?”
“No, I helped Uncle Ty do it.”
“How do you feel about helping me get back at your uncle?”
“We can do something that will make him laugh?” Her eyes are wide with excitement.
“Yeah,” I say. We’ll go with that. It’s not like a five-year-old is going to understand what a prank war is.
“Yes!” she exclaims. “Can we do it when we get home?”
“ After homework.”
Evie sighs. “Fine. I’ll be really fast. Like faster than recess.”
I smirk at her reflection in the mirror. We park in front of my house, and the second I unlock Tyler’s front door, Evie sprints to the kitchen table, whips out her homework folder, and gets straight to work.
While she’s distracted, I pull out my phone to do a little bit of sleuthing of my own.
ME
Any idea why I’ve found an entire flamboyance* of little ducks?
*parliament
*murder
*unkindness
What is a group of ducks called, anyway?
TYLER
How do you know the words for a group of flamingos, owls, crows, and ravens but not ducks?
ME
I remember all the funny ones.
TYLER
Of course you do.
I think the word you’re looking for is flock.
ME
…and the answer to my first question?
TYLER
I already told you. Game on, Anderson.
If Tyler thinks he can prank me without any retaliation, he’s sorely mistaken. I glance around the kitchen, trying to think of a prank I can easily pull. When I spot his old-school kitchen sink with a separate water spray feature, I can’t suppress my smile. Target acquired.
“Done.” Evie runs over to me, handing me a sheet of paper. I read over her work.
“Great job, girl.” I give her a high-five. “Now, are you ready to learn a classic trick?”
She nods, grinning wide.
I lead her back into Tyler’s kitchen and lift her up, propping her on my knee. “All we have to do is tie this”—I hand her the hair tie off my wrist—“around the water sprayer.” Evie pulls herself off my leg to sit on the counter, wrapping the hair tie around the sprayer twice. I wrap it around once more before helping Evie get down.
“What will it do?” she asks.
“When your Uncle Ty gets home from work and wants to wash his hands or his dinner plate, the water will come out of the sprayer aimed right at him, showering him in a watery surprise.”
She beams. “I can’t wait.”
“Me either.” I smile. There’s no way Tyler will be expecting me to retaliate this quickly.
Game on, indeed.