I eye Charlie. “If you need me to, I can stay up and keep Wes company.”
“Nah, I’m good. Eat and then get some rest.”
I open the bag and find a Styrofoam container of pancakes. “Thanks. I’m starving.”
Charlie nods and turns down the volume of the radio. “How’re Margot and the baby?” he asks.
I recap my visit in between bites while Wes gets us back on the interstate.
“I’m glad we did this,” Wes says, his eyes on me.
I smile at him. “Me too.”
I’m shifting around, trying to get comfortable, when I hear Griffin’s name.
“Do you think they’ll get back together?” Wes asks.
I glance around the car, but all I can see is the upholstered ceiling. Olivia and I have somehow ended up lying side by side, her balancing on the front edge of the seat while I’m pinned between her and the back of the seat.
“What?” Charlie mumbles.
Wes repeats his question. “Do you think they’ll get back together?”
Is he asking because we almost kissed the other night? Is he regretting it even though it didn’t happen?
Charlie must be distracted by the radio; I hear snippet after snippet of music filter through the speakers.
“Who knows? I hope not,” he finally answers.
Charlie finally settles on a modern remake of “The Little Drummer Boy.” Wes says, “I heard them talking this morning. It sounded like he wants her back.”
“Of course he does. Soph’s a cool girl and he’s an ass. And he’s been seeing all those pics of her having a good time without him.”
I can’t help the smile that breaks out across my face. No matter how much time passes, Charlie and Olivia will always have my back.
“She did look amazing in that dress the other night,” Wes says.
It takes everything in me not to squeal.
“And he had the nerve to say that maybe they had just gotten lazy,” Wes adds. “That if they tried hard enough, they could get back to when it was fun. I mean, of course people get lazy when they’re with the same person for a long time, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still happy. Or having fun. If lazy is enough to ruin a relationship, then maybe there’s more wrong than just being lazy.”
They’re quiet a few minutes. Then Charlie asks, “Is this about Laurel?”
Wes sighs. “I feel like we both worked hard to make this long-distance thing work, but it’s not working. We’re in two totally different places.”
“I told you it was a horrible idea,” Charlie says.
Wes lets out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, you did. More than once. I thought it would be easy once she was home on break, but I don’t think either of us wants it anymore. All Laurel wants to do is hang out with people she met at school, and I’d rather hang out with you three. The last week has been good. Really good.”
“So are all these deep thoughts about Sophie? Because me, you, and Olivia are always together. She’s the only thing that’s new about this week.”
I don’t think Wes is going to answer. Then he finally says, “Yeah, I’m glad she’s here.”
Charlie lets out a deep breath. “Look, I know I made a big deal out of you not dating either of them because it might ruin our group, but we lost Sophie anyway. What Iamworried about is that it feels like we’re just now getting her back. I don’t want anything to happen that pushes her away again. You know what I mean?”
Charlie’s words hit me in the gut.They feel like they lost me.
“I know. I’m just saying I’d rather be doing nothing with the three of you than anything with Laurel.”
