She must be on campus already. It’s a little tight, but I can make it. I proceed to pour the coffee back in the pot, shouting out to let the rest of the guys know it’s fair game. Bluebeard tilts his head up as I give his chin a solid scratch. “You hear that? I’m going to get our girl back.” Or at least make it right for her.
His motor rumbles, and he leans into my touch, giving me a gentle head butt as if he can understand what I’m saying and approves of the plan.
Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting at a high-top in All Capps, sipping an unnaturally green drink that tastes like grass. Why did I let Jazz convince me to try matcha? I should start a stopwatch to see how long it’ll take for Maisie to eviscerate me for being such an idiot.
She marches straight for me, eyes narrowed with suspicion. She doesn’t smile, but she also doesn’t throw the apple cinnamon muffin at my head, so I count that as a win.
Sliding into the chair across from me, she tears off a piece of the crumbly muffin top, nibbling on it. “So. You’re alive.”
“Physically, yeah.”
“And emotionally?”
“Kind of a wreck.” It’s hard to admit that. But it’s getting easier. Trusting other people with these things.
Her expression softens. Just slightly. “Luna’s not doing great either.”
That hits me in the raw nerves I’ve been trying to keep hidden. I nod. “I figured.”
Maisie leans forward, elbows on the table. “What do you want, Beau?”
The question is blunt, but not cruel. I pause. Because what I really want to say to her is Luna. She’s who I want. But that’s not what this is about right now. This is for making amends and doing the right thing regardless of the outcome. And if it helps me win her back, well, that would be a bonus. The one I want but don’t deserve.
“I want to fix the event,” I say. “The outdoor skate. The livestream.” The mess I made with my life and Luna’s. “Even if the donor’s gone and everything’s screwed up, I want to make it happen.”
Maisie blinks.
I continue before I lose nerve. “I know I fucked this up. And I know she probably doesn’t want to see me. But the event was bigger than us. Bigger than all the drama. She believed in it, so I want to help give it back to her.”
Maisie studies me, eyes narrowed in thought. “And this isn’t about winning her back?”
I shake my head. “It’s about showing up when it matters. Something I should’ve done a hell of a lot earlier.”
She chews on that for a second. Then breaks off another piece of muffin and points it at me. “You’re lucky I believe in redemption arcs.”
It feels like I’ve been holding my breath all day when I release it.
“We have one week,” she says. “You ready to bring the chaos?”
A sort of resigned dread settles in the pit of my stomach. Chaos is the one thing I hate the most, but for Luna it’s worth it. “Born ready,” I say. “Also mildly terrified.”
“Good.” Maisie grins. “That means you’ll do it right.”
Maisie scrolls, muttering. “There’s an old outdoor rink behind the Glen Hill community center. It needs some major love, but it’s free if we clean it up. My cousin’s volleyball team used it for a charity fundraiser last fall. Only one person fell through a wall, so, promising.”
“Sounds like several lawsuits waiting to happen. That’s your bar?”
She grins. “That’s my floor. You know it’s not that tragic. All the pieces were already lined up. A few tweaks, and some phone calls will do it. The biggest issues will be locking down a new venue and keeping a massive secret from my bestie.”
She’s right. Everything was already set up. We just need to salvage the plan, get in contact with everyone involved and talk the community center into letting us use the space. I’m seldom willing to use my family name to put pressure on someone. But there’s nothing I won’t do to make this happen.
By the time we leave All Capps, Maisie’s already given Beth the details via voice memo and strong-armed a favor out of Coach. Apparently, when Maisie wants something, the universe just hands it over out of fear. I can’t say that I wouldn’t do the same.
We loop in Beth and Sin on a quick call. Beth’s already ten steps ahead. She’s drafted a new flyer and started a separate group chat to get in touch with the volunteer sign-up list. She adds JJ, who immediately responds.
JJ: Do we want a fog machine or is that too dramatic? Asking for me, not a friend.
Beth: You ARE the fog machine, JJ.
