He bounces in his seat, reaching over to grab the green crayon. Then a hand taps my shoulder. I look up to see Halle standing over me with a too-sweet, you-owe-me kind of smile. Which means I’m about to be roped into something.
“I’m stealing Sarah tonight, so you’re on babysitting duty. No questions asked.”
I blink. “Wait, what?”
She just stares at me, her eyes gleaming. I glance at Sarah, who looks at Halle with the same surprise, but there’s laughter in her eyes when Halle crosses her arms, one brow lifting in challenge.
Remi holds out two crayons, silently asking me to pick one. I take the orange one because how could you not want to spend time with him?
“I mean… Sure?”
“Good answer,” Halle says, pleased with herself. Her eyes shifts to Sarah. “You’re coming with me to girls’ night.”
A short laugh escapes Sarah. “Do I get a say in this?”
“Nope,” Halle chirps. “I’m guessing you need a night off. I need a drink, and Hunter here owes us all six months’ worth of favors.”
5
GIRLS NIGHT
MADISON
I finally got hold of Halle. After what felt like a million unanswered messages from me and Tessa’s string of gifs, she really didn’t stand a chance. Knowing they’ll be here in a couple of hours has given me a newfound buzz of energy. Girls’ nights are my favorite. I live for them. We let our hair down, get cozy, drink good wine, eat all the snacks, and talk shit. It’s therapy. We laugh until our ribs hurt, and we dance like no one’s watching.
I pad barefoot into the kitchen to check Mom’s wine stash. Opening the fridge, I come up empty. Not even a sad half-empty bottle. Frowning, I close the door with a sigh. Damnit. She always has something in her fridge. I guess a store run’s in order. The girls are already making the effort to come here for a spontaneous night, the least I can do is make sure there’s wine waiting for them.
Grabbing my keys from the entrance table, I throw my hair into a messy ponytail and slip into my shoes. The sun’s going down, casting a soft golden glow across the lawn, painting the sky in pretty shades of bubblegum. I’ll neverstop loving how beautiful the sky can be here. When the sun’s high, it’s clear across the electric blue sky, humming with heat. Even on the days where the clouds roll in, the light still finds a way through, a soft, pale gold filtering across everything.
The drive to the store is quiet; I refuse to put on any music. The playlists on my phone are mine and Hunter’s. The songs make my chest burn with the memory of the secret late-night drives with him. I miss those carefree nights. Just the two of us, with no one around, no hiding. The way his hand would grip my knee, the other steady on the wheel, like he was in control of everything. Including the way my heart would race the second his thumb started stroking soft, lazy circles on my skin. He knew what he was doing. That smirk would tug at the corner of his mouth when goosebumps scattered across my legs. I miss how, after an hour of driving, he would park in an empty field with nothing but the stars, a cool breeze, our laughter, and tension that curled in my belly. I would climb into his lap without a word, stare into those pale blue eyes. We would lose ourselves in each other.
I pull into the parking lot of the corner store, my heart skipping a beat as I scan the cars, looking for his familiar truck, which thankfully isn’t there. Still, I keep my head down. The thought of bumping into Hunter again today has me feeling all kinds of anxious. My palms become clammy as I open the door, slipping inside. The cheap daisy air freshener does nothing to cover the old timber and dust smell of the store. I head straight for the wine aisle, focusing on why I’m here to keep myself from spiraling back to him. His hands, his voice, the stupid way my stomach flipped when I saw him earlier.
We’re not doing any of that five-dollar headache-in-a-bottle kind of wine tonight, so I take my time scanning the rows, picking out something that’s not too fancy either. My fingers land on two reds and a Moscato. I’ll grab some frozen berries on my way out, too. Nothing beats some wine slushies to make the night more fun.
“Hey, Madison,” a voice calls out behind me.
My shoulders tense automatically, my breath catching in my throat before I realize that smooth light tone is nothing like Hunter’s husky, deep voice. I glance over my shoulder, relief washing over me as I spot Xavier walking my way. His blond hair, which is usually styled impeccably, is tousled. The top button of his shirt is undone, and his tie hangs loose around his neck.
“Long day?” I ask, letting my eyes linger for a moment.
He lets out a soft chuckle, dragging a hand through his already messy hair. “You could say that. I won’t bore you with the details now, though. Looks like you have somewhere to be?” His eyes drop to the bottles of wine in my arms with a hint of amusement.
I grab a bag of frozen berries from the freezer, the cold air cooling my flushed face. Xavier leans casually against the freezer next to me. He’s attractive. The clean lines of his suit trace his frame like it was tailored just for him. I can see how anyone would melt under that casual confidence. Any girl but me. He’s been asking me out for weeks, and sure, there’s only the faintest flicker of interest, but it’s the guilt that sinks its teeth into me that stops me from saying yes. My traitorous mind always circles back to Hunter. And I hate that. What about me? Don’t I deserve to feel alive again? To feel wanted, even for one night? Maybe Tessa’s right, maybe I just need to rip the Band-Aid off. One date isn’t a promise.It’s just dipping my toes in, testing the water to help me feel more like myself. My heart gives a ridiculous stutter, and before the warmth in my cheeks can betray me, I glance at Xavier with what I hope passes for a confident, flirty smile.Oh God, someone help me.
“Maybe you could bore me with the details… over dinner one night?” I say.
His eyes widen, lips parting—shit. Maybe I read it wrong. Maybe he lost interest. My thoughts tangle in knots, each one pulling tighter as heat rushes to my cheeks. I try to come up with something—anything—to take back the words, to save myself before he lets me down. I shift back a step, hugging the bottles to my chest. The hard glass slips against my arm, the chill from the frozen berries biting at my skin. Readjusting my grip on the berries, one of the bottles knocks against another with a sharp clink that cuts through the strange silence. Self-consciousness prickles at my skin as I force myself to meet his eyes. A slow, deliberate smirk tugs at his mouth, his gaze lingering on mine as he reaches out, grabbing one of the bottles in my arms.
“You know what?” The words rush out, stumbling over themselves before he can speak. “Forget I even said anything… I… I have to…”
He steps closer, and my mind scatters, losing whatever excuse I was about to say. My weight shifts from one foot to another, the bag of berries slipping from my fingertips. Before they hit the floor, Xavier catches them in one smooth motion. His smirk widens into a complete triumphant smile.
“Madison,” he says, “I would love to bore you with the details of my mundane life.”
A sharp laugh escapes me. “Okay.”
“Okay,” he echoes, somehow making it feel like a promise.
