I stare at him. “An idiot?”
“Yeah. I mean, come on. His best friend is clearly in love with him and he has no clue? How oblivious can one person be?” Micah flips through the pages again. “She’s always there for him, she supports his art even when no one else does, sheknows him better than anyone… and he just sees her as a friend? It’s driving me crazy.”
My mouth falls open slightly. He has no idea. None whatsoever.
“You think he’s oblivious?” I manage to ask.
“Completely blind. This poor girl is so obviously in love with him, and he’s just…” Micah gestures helplessly at the pages. “How does he not see it? The signs are all there.”
I’m speechless. I’ve literally written our entire relationship down on paper, and Micah reads it like it’s about two completely different people.
“Cricket?” He’s looking at me strangely. “You okay? You look weird.”
“I’m fine. Just… tired from my date.”
“Right, your date. How was it?”
“Good. River’s really nice.”
Micah’s expression shifts slightly. “Great. That’s… fantastic.”
“He didn’t have time to read my chapters though.”
“His loss,” Micah says. “Seriously, you are amazing at writing cliffhanger chapters. When can I read the rest?”
I look at his genuine enthusiasm and his complete lack of recognition, and I feel a mixture of joy and heartbreak.
“I’ll email a few more chapters to you tomorrow.”
“Yes!” He grins at me. “I can’t wait to see if this guy ever gets his act together and realizes what’s right in front of him.”
I can’t either.
CHAPTER 14
MicahBarrett
Thursday, November 26
I spoonsome green bean casserole onto my plate then pass the dish to Violet. She smiles at me, her silver hair perfectly styled, as always. It’s Thanksgiving, and everyone is chatting and filling their plates. Kiki invited River, and of course he’s getting along great with everyone.
Cricket keeps nudging me because she thinks I should spill my news, but I want to wait a little. Sit with it for a tiny bit longer before telling people. Besides, we won’t hear back from the attorney until next week, so it’s not official yet.
Across from me, Skyler is methodically picking all the marshmallows off the top of her sweet potato casserole and eating them one by one, her brown pigtails bouncing as she moves. Kiki guides Skyler’s hand toward some actual sweet potatoes. “Try some of the orange part, too, sweetie.”
Kiera is sitting across from me. She’s dyed a pink streak through her hair, and it looks good on her. Maybe I will askher to go with me to the lighting ceremony after all. Even though anything Christmas related reminds me of my parents, I go every year. It’s tradition.
Levi takes his spoon and clinks his glass as if it were champagne instead of water. His hair looks damp, like he showered right before coming here, and he’s grinning like he’s going to cause some trouble. He stands. “I have some news.”
Cricket gives me a look, and I can tell she thinks I should have spilled my news first, but I ignore her and give Levi my full attention. Skyler grabs a roll and takes a big bite, oblivious that everyone has quieted and is waiting for Levi to speak.
“Claire and I have decided to elope. We are heading to Vegas next weekend to tie the knot.”
“What?” Kiki almost falls out of her chair. “I mean, I’m happy for you, but I really wanted to be there.”
Claire, who’s been quietly cutting her turkey into precise little squares, looks up at Levi, a small smile on her face like she’s holding in a secret. “And we want you there.”
Levi takes Claire’s hand. “That’s why we splurged and got a private jet. We’re all flying to Vegas next weekend. The wedding will be next Saturday.”
