“You thinkyou’rea bad person? Maggie, I’m the one whosucks so bad I got myself stuck in a time loop. Haveyouever gotten yourself stuck in a time loop?”
She shakes her head, eyes glassy, the tiniest of smiles appearing on her face.
“Like, if what I did to Layla caused this,” I say, “think how bad I must have hurt her.Thatis some serious bad personing right there. Though, she honestly didn’t seem like she thought it was a big deal at all. So that was weird. Time heals all wounds, I guess. But, look, even an asshole like me can find redemption! She released me!”
“You’re not an asshole, Carter,” Maggie says.
I shrug. “I think everybody has asshole potential if you catch ’em at the right moment.”
“Maybe. But I’m sorry I’ve had to be such an asshole toyou.”
“You haven’t!”
“Avoiding you. Lying to you. So shitty.”
“I get it, though! You’re doing what you have to in order to protect yourself.”
“But maybe that’s silly.” Maggie reaches her hand out and puts it on mine.
I look at her.
I hold my entire body still, even as my insides are engulfed by a tidal wave.
“Well,” I say.
“What I came over to say,” Maggie says, moving her fingers lightly along the back of my hand, “was... that it wasn’t...”
“Wasn’t what?”
I stare into her eyes, trying to understand what she’s getting at.
Finally she speaks.
“Sometimes I still want to kiss you.”
“Oh.”
Maggie inches slightly toward me. I remain a statue.
Of course I want to kiss her. Like, obviously.
But.
“What about Chord?” I ask. “I mean, I wouldn’t want him to, like, get frayed.”
“That doesn’t—It’s not—Don’t worry.”
It’s a highly unconvincing answer, but then I’m completely convinced anyway, because Maggie’s glossy lips are on mine, and mine are on hers, and it’s finally happening.
We’re finally happening.
I am the tidal wave, we are the tidal wave, and we lose ourselves as we crash down upon the shore.
April.
Maggie
So I went to Carter’s house to make things right, and instead I just...
