“How mad is pretty mad?”
“Be prepared to offer up one of your organs,” he says, and closes the door behind me.
“Who’s angrier?”
“Sophie’s less likely to take a swing at you.”
“Okay,” I say.
“Also, you should know that they really believe in public displays of affection. They kiss all the time. They call each other ‘babe’ all the time.”
“Even Cassidy?”
“Especially Cassidy. You don’t know the things I’ve seen, Eves,” he says.
I shudder-laugh. More shudder than laugh. Sixty-three percent shudder.
“Thank God you’re back,” he says. “It’s not the same without you.”
He leads me through the house and out to the pool.
At first, they don’t see me. They’re too busy canoodling in the water. I don’t want to interrupt, so I take a seat at the outdoor dining table. It’s spread with fancy plates, actual silver silverware and champagne glasses. I see the remnants of waffles and a few different syrups.
“Did you guys get takeout from SCW?” I ask.
“No, it turns out they have a family chef now,” Martin says.
“Jesus, they’re so rich,” I say.
“Yup,” he says, and offers me a plate.
I’m too nervous to eat, so I just sit there and wait. I don’t have to wait long for Cassidy to realize I’m here. “I don’t remember inviting you over,” she says, using herI’m about to set something on firevoice.
Martin mimes pulling out and offering an organ.
I start with the basics instead. “Hey, guys.”
Sophie gets out of the water, wraps herself in a towel and sits down on a lounge chair. “Hi, Evie,” she mumbles, but she doesn’t look at me.
Cassidy gets out of the pool and follows Sophie to the lounge. She ignores me completely. To Martin she says: “Why is she here?”
“I came to apologize,” I say.
In her eyes, I can see Sophie wants to forgive me. She rests her hand on Cassidy’s shoulder and squeezes, but Cassidy just folds her arms tight.
I look to Martin for help. “Grovel,” he mouths.
I didn’t think it was going to be this hard to get back to being friends. But now I’m realizing that it might not be up to me. What if they decide not to forgive me? Then X will have been right:I’llbe responsible for our breakup. Not them.
“Why’d you say we should break up?” Cassidy asks. “It’s me, right? You think I’m not good enough for Sophie?”
I can’t believe she thinks that. Or, I can believe it. It’s basically what her parents have been telling her all her life with their constant neglect.
I walk over to the lounge chair and squat in front of her. “No, Cassidy. It’s not that at all. It’s just me. Ever since Mom and Dad—”
Sophie squeezes Cassidy’s shoulder again. “See, I told you,” she says.
I’m happy to know that Sophie’s been holding on to her faith in me.
