Matt pretended to clear his throat. “Says the beer pong champ.” He lifted his hands, his face masked in innocence. “Didn’t say a thing.”
“Ha-ha, okay, okay. Yeah, so maybe I contributed.” Landon shouldered the weighted bag. “A lot. But I also kicked your ass.”
“We,” I chimed in. “Considering how drunk you were, we should probably respect the solid seventy/thirty split of the win.”
Landon opened the garage door and paused. “Hold that thought.”
“Uh-oh, you got him all fired up now.” Matt laughed and plopped down on the couch in the now clean living room. “You got anything for a headache?”
Colby nodded, reached into the kitchen cabinet where he stored the ibuprofen, then tossed him the bottle.
The garage door reopened and Landon stepped through already talking. “Okay, so if I’m not mistaken, you’re saying you did seventy percent of the winning?”
“Seems about right.” I grinned, just to egg him on.
“What I’m thinking is we should just call it fifty/fifty because my drunkenness just took my superior beer pong skills down to average-guy range.”
“Oh? So that’s what we want to call it? Hmm…Okay, if this helps keep your ego nice and inflated, I guess I can get on board with that.”
“Hey now…” He forced back a smile.
“Kidding. We all know I suck at beer pong. If it hadn’t been for my champion of a partner and Matt’s extreme inebriation, I wouldn’t have stood a chance. It was a team effort and we…how did you say it? Mopped the floors with the blood of our enemies?”
“Damn girl, you’re feisty. This isn’t no red wedding. I just said we kicked some ass.”
“Oh, you didn’t say something like that? Wow, now I see how the inflated ego comes about. That kind of win just really goes straight to the head. I’m like crazy with power.”
“I’d say.” He laughed. “And remind me to never play against you.”
“Anyone want me to order a pizza?” Colby blurted.
I glanced at him, not sure if he intended to end the conversation but getting clear vibes that it wasn’t coincidence.
He shrugged. “I’m getting hungry.”
“Taylor’s my ride, so whatever she wants to do,” I answered.
Colby glanced at Taylor.
“Um, I’m just here to pick up Matt, so whatever he wants.”
“I can’t even think about food. I really just want a shower and a bed, but if y’all want pizza…”
“Well, I’m going to order pizza. Isla, I’ll give you a ride home after you eat. Taylor, you’re welcome to stay and eat too. And Matt, you can shower here and crash in my bed while we eat. But if you’d rather head home, that’s cool too.”
Everyone just stared for a moment, even Landon. Considering Colby was usually the peacemaker, not the decision maker, his taking charge seemed to throw the group off. But then I smiled, enjoying this side of Colby.
“Extra olives, please.”
Taylor turned to Matt and he shrugged, like he’d go with whatever she wanted, but she took pity on him. “I’m not that hungry. I can just get you home.” She paused, then turned to me. “Are you okay with that?” She glanced between Colby and Landon, then back at me.
I nodded, but Taylor seemed to be waiting for more. Her expression seemed to say, “You sure you want to be stuck with these two?” Like she’d find an out for me if I couldn’t come up with one myself.
So I smiled. “I got a ride and pizza. I’m good.”
“Okay.” Taylor seemed to relax. “Call me if, you know…”
“I will.”
After they left, I looked between the boys, wondering if I’d regret this, then took a deep breath and sat on the couch. “Maybe extra cheese too.”
Landon plopped down on the other couch and clicked on the TV. “Sounds good to me.”
Colby pulled out his phone to place the order, then slid it back into his pocket and crashed on the end of the couch opposite me. “The pizza will be here in half an hour.”
“Cool. If I fall asleep, wake me when it gets here.” Landon reached to the sky with a big yawn, then stretched out on his couch. He tossed the remote between Colby and me. “Feel free to change it. This looks like it’s gonna be a total chick flick.”
I was pretty sure Colby knew I loved this movie, but I glanced at him to assure him I was okay with a channel change. “You can change it.”
He settled back, angling his legs in my direction to give himself more room to stretch out. “I’m good.”
I smiled, and though I wasn’t sure exactly what he was thinking, there seemed to be a bit of you’re welcome behind his little grin.
I stared at Landon, stretched out on the couch opposite me, eyes heavy with sleep. Maybe it had been a misunderstanding. Landon had been drunk and not thinking clearly, and Colby interpreted something he’d said or done as feelings. Then I looked to Colby, comfortable by my side. He may not remember my ultimatum but if he did, he seemed to be okay with whatever decision he was making. Problem was, it was hard to tell if he was choosing friendship or more. After all, we’d always been comfortable together. With a deep breath, I focused back on the movie. Whatever was going on in this moment felt pretty good. Maybe I should just enjoy it. After all, how many more moments like this would we get?
—
Somewhere between the three slices of pizza I ate and the end of my favorite movie, I’d dozed off. The stiffness of my neck woke me and I winced as I readjusted. I arched my back into a stretch trying to alleviate the tension in my body. A pillow I didn’t recall grabbing had been wedged under my head, but I still felt crammed in a tiny space.
I shifted, still half asleep, but then froze as everything came into focus. My head rested half on the pillow, half on Colby’s hip, and my hand—well, it had probably started on his thigh but was now, thanks to all my squirming, basically working its way over his crotch. Nothing but a thin layer of gray sweatpants between my fingers and…Shit. I prayed that he was sleeping and the soft snoring in the distance belonged to him, but judging by his rigid posture and what sounded like the beginning of a stifled groan, he was wide awake.
I yanked my hand back and attempted to sit up, but quickly realized I was too wedged between his body and the couch to not replace my hand on his thigh to free myself.
Once finally in a sitting position, I mumbled an apology.
His eyes were dark, but he went for a casual shrug. “Don’t worry about it. I fell asleep too. Hell, Landon’s snoring away over there. Guess we were all exhausted after last night.”
My gaze fell to his lap. Didn’t look like every part of him was quite as relaxed as he tried to play off.
“Or maybe it was your chick flick,” he teased.
My gaze snapped up. “Uh, yeah, guess I’ve seen it one too many times. And all that pizza made me sleepy.”
“Me too.” He finally shifted to grab the remote, and not so casually readjusted his sweatpants. “Want to see if something else is on?”
My face warmed, but not from embarrassment. It was the knowledge that Colby was turned on and now I was too. “Grandma’s probably wondering where I am. Maybe I should head home.”
“Oh, yeah, of course. I can drive you.” He didn’t move from the couch. “Want to go right now?”
My gaze started to drift down, yet again, and I quickly snapped it back to the TV. “Um, whenever you’re ready.”
“We can go now.” He glanced at me and paused.
My face grew even warmer.
His gaze lowered to my mouth, then swung to the kitchen table before making its way back to me. He bolted upright, shifting his body away from me. Then he grabbed his keys off the table.
Now the reddening of my face came from embarrassment. Here I’d thought the table reminded him of our night together, but in reality, he’d been looking for his keys.
I stood and followed him to where I’d set my bag. As I reached for it, I noticed a pile of mail with
an invitation to Grandma’s party opened and sitting right on top.
“Oh.” I picked it up. “Are you going to make it?”
“Uh—” He scratched his head. “Wasn’t sure if I was invited.”
I half laughed, half stared at him in confusion. “I’m holding your invitation right here.”
He slid his baseball cap on, then readjusted it. “It was only addressed to Landon.” His eyes flicked in my direction.
“Oh.” I flipped over the envelope, tucked around the invitation. And sure enough only one name had been printed across the envelope. Why would Luis do that? “It was meant for both of you. Just a typo from the printer.” I smiled. “You know Grandma would be mad if you didn’t show up.”
His smile finally broke. “Yeah, she would be. And nobody wants the wrath of Diaz women to come down on them.”
“Exactly. So I better see you there. Your whole family.”
“We wouldn’t miss it.”
I glanced back at the invitation, noting the date was next Saturday. Guess it was time to message Luis for details, since he clearly had no plans to contact me.
“Everything okay?” Colby asked.
I thought about sharing how Dad had gone over my head in the planning, but feared he might think that was the reason he didn’t get invited. So instead I smiled. “Just a little bittersweet, I guess. I’m gonna miss Grandma when I move.”
“She’ll miss you too.” He smiled. “We all will.” I stared up at him, and he quickly added. “But I’d be happy to take her to visit you. Anytime.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s what friends are for.” He nudged my arm then headed to the door.
My heart fell like lead in my chest.
Friends.
Chapter 16
It had been almost a week since I’d seen Colby or Landon. But we’d messaged back and forth about Grandma’s party. Probably because they needed clarification considering how very not Grandma the entire occasion seemed. After multiple attempts to reach out to Luis, I’d finally gotten the details. Dad had rented out the only “nice” restaurant in town for a private event. While it wasn’t formal, it was expected that we’d be dressed up. Which was question number one from Colby. It was also a surprise party, and my job to get her there. Question number two from Colby, whose mom almost spoiled the surprise when she ran into Grandma at the grocery store.
And though nothing about the plans sounded like something Grandma would enjoy, I stayed quiet. After all, seventy was a milestone birthday. Dad had invested a lot of money in the party, the least I could do was be supportive. Though I really didn’t understand why I had to be kept in the dark for so long. But I also refused to ask too many questions or raise objections, partly because it was pointless this late in the game, but mostly because for once, I wanted Luis to see I’d grown up. I wasn’t immature, nor was I a child. It was stupid how much that mattered to me, but it did.
The night before the party, I’d thrown out the idea of a nice dinner to Grandma. After much protest on her end, and a little begging on mine, she agreed. Though she wasn’t happy about me footing the bill for dinner, I’d insisted it was my birthday present for her. Once she was on board, we made plans to spend Saturday shopping for a nice outfit for dinner. It would keep us busy and avoid any possible run-ins with Luis, who was to arrive that day.
So after breakfast, we drove an hour away to the nearest mall. And though I hadn’t been able to plan the party I would’ve for Grandma, the day we spent together was completely worth the rest. We shopped, tried on a million different dresses, ate lunch, and shopped some more. I worried that she’d be worn out before we even made it to the party, but never once did she slow down. In fact, it was finally me who called it a day.
“Grandma,” I huffed. “No more walking!” I laughed and shook my head. “I can’t keep up.”
“But mijita, you need a nice necklace for your dress.”
With a smile, I shook my head. “I’m sure I can find one at home. But if we don’t stop now, we’ll never make it to dinner.”
“Let’s reschedule then.”
Oh crap. “No! Those reservations were hard to get.”
“I don’t need fancy restaurants. We can go to Eddie’s.”
“Uh, I eat there all the time during my shifts. I need something different. We’re going. No arguments. But really, let’s head home and rest for a bit,” I pleaded.
She smiled and patted my cheek. “Of course.” She stared at me, then sighed. “Seventy birthdays and this is by far my favorite.”
“Aw, Grandma, it’s not over yet!”
“I know, mijita. Te amo, y gracias.”
“I love you too.” I wrapped my arms around her. “And thank you. For everything. I could never repay you for the things you’ve done for me.”
“You do. Every day.”
I willed the tears to go anywhere but down my cheeks.
When I pulled back and saw the glossy sheen in her own eyes, I laughed. “No crying on your birthday.”
She sniffled a little. “Tears of happiness don’t count.”
—
Grandma and I both managed to sneak in a nap before her party, and I was grateful because I’d been exhausted. But now, completely refreshed, we were dressed and headed to the restaurant. A little nervous bubble had settled in my stomach. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but it seemed to be a combination of wondering how Grandma would react, seeing Colby all dressed up, and…Luis. It had been years since his last visit. And it hadn’t been a good one.
I’d spent a long time in the shadows of my parents’ failing marriage. I’d listened to arguments, followed by silence that was even scarier than the yelling. Where there should have been compassion and encouragement dwelled passive-aggressiveness. Holidays were filled with contempt. Weekends were filled with resentment. Until eventually, every day, I walked around wondering who would finally throw the last stone. I’d never imagined it would be me.
Though that was long ago now, Luis still resented me for it. Honestly, my whole family seemed to. Except Grandma, of course. When I chose to stay in Port Lucia after the divorce to finish high school, no one argued it. No one cared. Good riddance, right?
From that day on, Luis harbored more than his fair share of resentment for me. Not because I stayed, but because I started it. He came home once. My high school graduation. I don’t know exactly how it started or why he became so angry, but that was the night he exploded. I was childish. Selfish. Spoiled. I’d ruined our family. On and on it went. He berated me, while I apologized. Because though a part of me knew our family had been wrecked for years, I still felt responsible for the ultimate outcome. It was bad enough they divorced, but when they moved as far away as they could from Port Lucia, well, that came back to me.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I immediately spotted Colby’s truck and the little black sports car which had been Luis’s college graduation gift. Unlike me, he had full support from Dad. A free ride to college. Housing paid for. Money in the bank. Dad never offered it to me, and I’d never ask. Instead I took out student loans and worked my ass off. I went to community college because it was affordable. It embarrassed Dad that I hadn’t had “the motivation or dedication” to attend a major university. Mom, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. As long as I found a way to support myself, she was indifferent. Secretly, I think she liked that I was always in opposition to Dad. But only because she’d lived under his control for so long; she enjoyed watching me do the very opposite. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really my choice either way. I did what I had to. That was it. Nothing more. I’d spent the last few years trying to fly under the radar, but here I was tonight, faced with the past in the form of my brother.
“You feeling okay?” Grandma placed her hand on my forehead.
I smiled. “Yep. Just hungry, I think.”
“Me too.”
I was glad Grandma seemed distracted enough to not notice the parking lot was full of f
amiliar vehicles.
“Well, let’s go eat then!”
I parked the car and we both headed to the main entrance. As we walked I shot a quick We’re here text to Luis, per his instructions.
Grandma reached for the door.
“Let me get that.” I positioned myself out of the way so when it swung open she’d be the first to step in, and as she did, the room filled with a joyous “Surprise!”
Grandma grabbed her chest, and my heart leapt with the realization that we probably shouldn’t surprise a seventy-year-old, but then settled as she said with a huge smile, “Isla, you shouldn’t have.”
“She didn’t. Dad did,” Luis said as he strolled forward. He leaned down and gave Grandma the customary hug and kiss on the cheek, but nothing about them held any actual emotion. “Happy birthday.”
And over his shoulder, I caught her mouth turn down in a slight frown. She pulled back and her mouth tilted back up into a smile. “Is he here?”
“No. Business.”
I watched my brother, amazed at how much he’d turned into Dad. Cold. Emotionless. Not that I’d ever expected much from him, but sometimes I’d get lost in memories of the two of us as kids. Laughing. Sneaking up to watch scary movies late at night. Eating junk food we weren’t allowed to have before bedtime. It hadn’t always been this bad.
“Isla.” He nodded at me. No hug. No surprise. “Well, Grandma. Say hi to your friends. Dinner is in half an hour.”
When he glanced back at me, I bit my tongue and forced my expression to relax. I looped my arm through Grandma’s and with a big smile said, “What an amazing turnout! Where should we start? Oh look, there’s Ms. Mitchell.”
As her friends started to surround her with birthday wishes and greetings, I slipped away, needing a moment to decompress. Luis had more than lived up to my expectations. I stepped out back to the covered patio and stared at the ocean, letting each roll of waves wash away my frustration and anger and hurt.
“You okay?”
Colby’s voice enveloped me, like a blanket of security. I needed him more than ever right then.
Addicted to You Page 13
