“They’re out. Savannah . . . are you okay?”
My lip quivers, and I’m happy he’s behind me so he can’t see my face. “My father pawned your Xbox.”
“What?” Cameron asks.
“I’d told him it was Retha’s, and when he found out it wasn’t, he took it and sold it.”
“But it was for Evan,” Cameron says angrily. “I gave it to him, not your asshole father.”
“I know,” I start to say, but I fall apart. Tears stream down my cheeks and I cover my face with my hands.
And he’s here. Again. Cameron wraps me up in his arms, his chin resting on my shoulder as he hugs me tight. It’s gentle but comforting. I don’t think I’ve ever felt a touch like this, something so free of intentions.
“How’d you get here?” he asks.
“What do you care?”
“Just being curious again.”
I laugh and step out of his arms, wiping the tears off my face before turning to him. His expression doesn’t show pity; he isn’t telling me how sorry he is that my life is a disaster. Because in the end, talk is just talk. I like that he knows that.
“I stole twenty bucks from my dad,” I say.
“Good.”
“Yeah.”
He’s quiet for a moment, and then leans down to slip on his sneakers. I furrow my brow, wondering what he’s doing.
“Zip up your coat,” he says. My heart sinks. Is he taking me home?
“I thought—”
He sighs like I’m being difficult and steps closer, taking the bottom of my jacket to zip it up. He stops, his fingers lingering near my neck, and I lift my eyes to his. He smiles and my entire body warms.
“I’m taking you out for pizza,” he says.
***
On Friday nights, Vince’s Pizza has all-you-can-eat wings. When we arrive, the lot is full and we have to park at a convenience store down the block. It’s extra cold tonight, and I almost take Cameron’s arm to warm up. Instead I wrap my arms around myself, and we cross under the awning to the restaurant.
“I’ve never been here,” I say to Cameron. “Is it any good?”
Cameron scrunches his nose like he can’t decide and holds open the glass door for me to enter first. I’m intimidated. The place is busy—long picnic-style tables line the room with platters of wings in the center. It’s loud and rowdy in here, tons of people. I don’t recognize any of them, although they seem to be about my age. The smell of pizza and wing sauce clings to everything, and it makes my mouth water.
“Two, please,” Cameron tells the girl at the hostess stand, and turns to survey the room. The girl smiles widely and leans her boobs onto the stand.
“Cameron?” she says. “Holy shit—you haven’t been here in forever.”
He glances back at her, taking a minute to place her, and then nods. “Uh, yeah,” he says. “It’s been a long time.”
The girl’s eyes drift past him and quickly take stock of my appearance. Her mouth settles into a smile, and she grabs two menus. “Right this way,” she says, and leads us through the room to a small table that’s still being cleaned.
Cameron and I sit at the still-damp table, and the hostess hands us the menus and says our server will be right over.
“I used to come here a lot,” Cameron says when she’s gone. He runs his eyes over the menu, even though I don’t think he’s actually reading it.
“Guessed as much. She seemed to miss you.”
