Harshly, I bite back. “I don’t wanna talk about that. Not now.”
He frowns and steals the last puff of the blunt. His gaze shifts tomy phone.
“How ’bout a movie?” He flips on the television and findsPredator. It’s half over, but a distraction.
He doesn’t say it, but I know what he’s doing. He’s being a good brother, and helping me get through this.
By eleven, the movie ends and another starts.
“Go to bed,” I grumble. “She ain’t calling.”
“Maybe you should text her?”
I smirk at the idea. “At some point, the girl has to choose you, too.” I sigh and add, “Ever readThe Great Gatsby?”
Noel shakes his head. “Nah.”
“I read it in high school. There’s a famous line, ‘It was all but a dream.’”
He presses his tongue to the inside of his cheek, musing once more. And for the first time, Noel nudges my shoulder with his in a small act of mercy, then stands.
“Women,” is all he says, then goes to bed.
My little brother just consoled me. I guess I didn’t do so bad with him.
I check my phone one last time. Zilch. Yet, the empty notifications don’t gut me.
I watch the television flicker, staring blankly at the screen. I don’t even register the sound.
In my mind, I replay the weekend, every beautiful moment. The dream was magnificent, although fleeting. It was the perfect illusion sewn from a past — religion, her dad, that faithful night I walked back into a church and saved her.
Before the weekend, I wanted to forget Morgan.
Now, I never wantto forget my church girl.
I linger there in the dark, reliving the dream, hoping every second never fades.
I hope she texts.
I hope she knocks.
I hope, and that is the most dangerous thing I can do.
Chapter 44
Morgan
The entire drive home from Tybee Island, I thought about anything but what I am supposed to do. It is near impossible to plan how to break someone’s heart. Every time I think about it, I start to cry.
Therefore, I’ll just blurt it out, like ripping off a Band-aid.
“How was your trip?” asks Blake, who is smiling, happy to see me.
My stomach knots.
“It was good,” I reply. “I mean... sorta. We need to talk.”
His brow lifts and those striking dimples disappear along with his smile.
