Chapter 17 #2
Gracie and I exchange glances, bursting into laughter at the sound of Seb putting on a ridiculous voice.
I swing the door open to Seb and Ryan, both sporting goofy grins, arms laden with beer and popcorn. I lean against the doorframe, my arms folded.
“What’s the nature of your complaint?”
Seb lowers his voice, leaning in slightly. “There’s been a complaint from a neighbor about a red light in the window at strange times of day.”
I smack him on the back, making him stumble forward. Ryan stands there cringing, shaking his head.
“Do you actually know this guy?” I ask Ryan.
Ryan sighs. “Unfortunately, yes. He doesn’t get out much, so we just have to put up with him.”
Ryan strolls into the living room, dumping his snacks on the coffee table.
“Hey, Gracie,” Seb says, carrying the beers to the kitchen. “How was the game today?”
“It was a tie,” she says, cramming the beers into our tiny fridge.
Seb scoffs. “See, you should have had me there cheering you on.”
“What, so you can take out another referee? No thanks.”
Seb laughs and heads back to the living room, where he and Ryan debate movie choices.
I pull out my phone and order the pizza before shooting Millie a quick text to see if she wants to join. Meanwhile, Gracie, Seb, and Ryan huddle around the TV, still arguing over what to watch.
“Let’s watch something fun,” I say, trying to steer them away from anything terrifying.
“How about a zombie movie?” Ryan suggests.
“Perfect,” Seb grins.
I groan. “Ugh, no. You guys know I won’t sleep for a week.”
Seb waves a dismissive hand. “You’ll be fine. You can always hide behind your cushion.” Then, with an exaggerated glance at Ryan, he smirks. “Or, you know, something warmer.”
Ryan glares at him. “Shut up, Seb.”
I throw a popcorn kernel at Seb’s head. “Yeah, shut up, Seb.”
By the time the movie starts, I’m already regretting my life choices. As the first jump scare hits, I yelp and duck behind my cushion, peeking out only when I hear Seb and Ryan laughing at me.
“You good over there, Violet?” Seb teases, stuffing his face with pizza.
“I hate all of you,” I mumble from behind my shield.
Another zombie lunges across the screen, and I shriek, burrowing deeper into the couch.
Gracie snorts. “You know, we could turn the lights off. Really set the mood.”
“Absolutely not.”
Seb immediately moves toward the light switch.
“Seb, I swear to God.”
As the movie drones on, I become the main entertainment, everyone laughing every time I scream and spill beer on myself.
When the pizza boxes are almost empty and the beer supply is running low, I finally brave leaving my cushion fortress. “I’m getting more beer,” I announce, standing up and stretching, ambling into the kitchen, pleased to have an excuse to leave.
“I’ll get the door,” Gracie says as the doorbell chimes.
“It’s probably Millie,” I shout from the kitchen.
As I’m about to head back to the living room, I tense at the sound of a man talking to Gracie. I shoot back into the kitchen, hiding. I’m not sure why.
He wouldn’t come here for me? Would he?
Gracie appears at the kitchen door, her grin so wide it confirms all my suspicions.
“Mr. Tinder is here,” she says, her eyebrows raised sky high, her foot tapping as she waits for me to spill. “I thought you said he ghosted you.”
“Damn.” I yank Gracie into the kitchen, voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “You need to get rid of him.”
“What? Why? Are you feeling okay?” She runs her hand over my forehead, but I shoo it away. “Have you seen him, Violet? God, he’s even better than I remember.”
“He can’t see me now,” I say in desperation.
“Why not? Well, I suppose you look a bit lame in that Elmo t-shirt with beer all over it. But I’m pretty sure he knows you’re here. What will I say?”
“Just tell him I’ve got amnesia or something, and I can’t remember the last five years of my life.”
Gracie narrows her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. I think you should talk to him. Give me one good reason you don’t want to.”
Gracie knows me better than anyone. There’s no getting out of this without telling her the truth. “He’s the frigging CEO of Knightwell, and I don’t want Seb or Ryan to tell anyone. Seb, I can trust not to run his mouth, but Ryan, I’m not so sure.”
She looks at me long and hard before the grin returns. “And there was me thinking you led this boring life, and all this time, you’ve been hooking up with the drop-dead CEO.”
“Christ, Gracie. Keep your voice down.” I hear movement from the other room, and I push Gracie toward the door in a panic. “Please, Gracie, just tell him now is not a good time.”
“Okay, chill.” She rolls her eyes. “But for what it’s worth, Vi. He seems keen, like I think he may have it bad.”
I saunter back into the living room with a strained smile, as if I didn’t just have a full mental breakdown over the kitchen sink.
“Did you go to Mexico to get the beers?” Seb says, as I plonk the fresh bottles on the coffee table.
I flip him the bird, resuming my position behind the cushions.
But my mind is elsewhere. The truth is, I’m scared.
It’s taken me a long time to drag myself up from my knees since Mom passed.
Life is normal again. Gracie is doing well.
I’ve got a good job and an even better group of friends.
I’ve started having fun again. And now Chase has come out of nowhere like a tornado to blow my world apart.
And even though I’ve been smothering it in denial, last night, he showed me a side of him I could easily fall in love with.
The doorbell goes again, and my blood pressure spikes so high I spill more beer.
“Jeez, this zombie movie really got you rattled,” Seb says as I leap to my feet, sprinting to the front door like my life is about to unravel.
“Millie,” I say, exhaling the giant wedge of trapped air. “Boy, am I glad to see you.”
“Everything okay? You look a bit spooked?”
“Zombies,” I say, waving toward Seb as if that explains it.
“Are they forcing you to watch horror again?”
“It’s fine. I won’t sleep tonight, anyway. I’ve slept most of the day away.”
Her eyes hold mine for a long second. “How was the retreat?”
I look away. “It was okay, but I’m glad to be home.”
There I am with okay again. Pinocchio’s got nothing on me today.
I quickly usher her through to the living room. Sometimes, it seems like Millie can read my mind. Ryan scoots up closer to give Millie space to sit.
He leans in, a grin curving his mouth. “Sorry for forcing you to watch zombies, Vi.”
“It’s alright.” I smile. “I’m used to it. I work with one every day.”
Ryan snickers, snapping off a beer cap with his teeth and handing it to me.
“To Zombies,” I say, clinking my bottle against Ryan’s just as someone is getting their head ripped off on the small screen.
I stare into space for the rest of the movie, not really watching but wishing there was a way I could somehow erase last night from my mind.
Gracie catches my eye from across the room and mouths, “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” I mouth back with a smile.
There’s that word again—okay.
Perhaps, if I say it enough times, I’ll actually believe it.