Nonna stands beside them with what looks like pure joy on her face.
Uncle Michael wedges his body in front of Uncle Sal’s and sticks his butt out, effectively pushing him away, then scribbles his name on the blank space.
Uncle Michael turns away, his expression victorious. Uncle Sal steps up and scratches Michael’s name out, then writes his next to it. Uncle Michael is too busy smiling to notice.
What a disaster.
Olivia stops next to me. “Charlie and I covered two of the dates. There are only a few you’ll need to be worried about.”
I let out a deep breath. “Thanks.”
Unable to stand it any longer, I walk toward the chart.
Charlie stops and whispers, “At least the Evil Joes have to share a day.”
“Yeah, but Aunt Maggie Mae has one, so that’s not much better,” I whisper back. Olivia and Charlie will be fine, and Papa and Nonna will probably pick someone from their shop. I’m mostly worried about Aunt Patrice.
She’s weird.
“Okay, now that the excitement is over, let’s eat!” Nonna calls out.
And there goes my appetite.
Olivia ended up in thebed in the guest room with me sometime around midnight. I opted out of going to Wes’s, mainly because I needed yesterday to be over. I thought Charlie and Olivia would give me a hard time when I told them I was going to bed instead of going next door, but they didn’t seem surprised. I had tried not to feel annoyed.
“Thank God the shop is closed today. I never thought I’d be sick of Christmas, but I’m officially there,” Olivia says as she stretches around in the bed. “Do you want me to tell you who you’re going out with tonight? I won’t tell Nonna we cheated.”
I throw a pillow at her. “Is it anyone I know?”
Olivia stares at the ceiling. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, then it wouldn’t matter. I’ll just wait.” I pause before adding, “You’ll be there, too, right?” Olivia and I are in such a weird place right now and I have no idea what to expect.
Olivia sits up and throws the pillow back. “I’ll be with you every step, no matter who you have to go out with,” she says. I can’t help the warm feeling that rushes through me.
I grab my phone and the charger, since my battery is probably dead, and head to the bathroom. While I’m waiting for my phone to charge enough to turn back on, I brush my teeth and pace. I know I’ll have missed texts from Margot, along with pictures of God-knows-what part of her swollen anatomy. I’m sure Addie’s called and texted, too.
But what about Griffin?
When my phone lights up and the messages start pouring in, my stomach begins whirling.
Talking to him should be the last thing I do.
Too bad my heart isn’t listening.
I open my messages. The majority of the texts are from Addie and Griffin, although Margot isn’t far behind. Addie’s texts start out with:Where are you?andCall me!then graduate to:WHERE ARE YOU?!?andCALL ME!!!!
I tackle Margot’s messages first. There are three pictures: I can’t even tell what the first one is; the second might be an ankle; and the third looks like her…hand?
MARGOT:DO YOU SEE HOW SWOLLEN MY HANDS ARE NOW??? I’m going to need bedazzled gloves to match the shoes.
MARGOT:Okay not gloves since I can’t separate my fingers. I guess mittens. Will you bedazzle me some mittens?
Okay, so that was her hand.
MARGOT:Are you getting these? I look like a beast
MARGOT:Oh Soph, Mom just told me about Griffin. That asshole. Are you okay?
