“Are you sure you want to propose? I mean, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” Josh asks.
“Why do you have to be such an asshole and ruin this moment?” I ask.
No more shacking up for my mom and Ricky. I’m happy this day has finally come.
“I thought you would be happy for us.”
“If you have to get married, I guess Missy is okay.”
“When do you plan to propose?” I ask.
“At her birthday party, so family and friends can witness the special event.”
I’m not a party planner, so while I know about the surprise party, I won’t be helping with anything. Katrina and Ricky have everything under control.
“Well, congrats. I’m going back to bed,” Josh says, leaving the dining room.
“I couldn’t ask for a more awesome stepdad.”
“That means a lot to me.”
At least the new year is looking up for my mom, even though it’s filled with uncertainty for me.
As I approach Bri’s house, I notice Dex on the porch, lounging in a chair.
“Hey, man.”
I walk up the steps without returning his greeting.
“It’s okay to acknowledge the existence of others.”
“I’m not your friend, and I don’t want you to be.”
“I know that. I wanted to say I’m sorry about your brother. I know how it feels.”
“You don’t know shit.”
“My cousin drowned.”
I glance towards him. Is this motherfucker pulling my leg? If he is, I’m going to beat his ass.
“Don’t fuck with me.”
“I wouldn’t joke about something like this. We were both twelve when he drowned at the beach. We were so competitive—always challenging and daring each other. We decided to see who could swim the farthest and fastest. We’d done it a million times before, but this time the outcome was different. He disappeared underneath the waves, and I couldn’t find him. I spiraled out of control after that day, so my family relocated from California to here for a fresh start a few months later. What’s fucked up most of all is that his body was never found. I never told my friends about him.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“To let you know it does get better. The pain never goes away, but it gets a little easier each day.”
“It’ll never get easier for me.”
“It will. Just take it one day at a time.”
I nod, then walk inside the house. The usual people sit around the living room, but one person has my complete attention. The object of my obsession graces the lap of her boyfriend. She’s a tomboy in every sense of the word, but still the sexiest girl in this room. Shit, the sexiest girl in the whole damn school.
“Art, I’m so glad you came.” Bri appears at my side, grasping my forearm and pulling me over to the loveseat. Beer bottles, Patron, and shot glasses litter the coffee table.
“You’re the only one,” Aiden grumbles.
