Logan asks as he barrels down the stairs.
“Yep,” Luke says, looking at me.
“Where are you two off to?” I look between them.
“Double date.” Logan grins. “Two chicks at the gym.”
I look away and nod. “Have fun.”
Luke takes his time putting on his boots while Logan saunters out the door.
“If I could take it back, I would.”
“But you can’t,” I say.
“No, I can’t any more than you can take away last night.”
“You did that!” I seethe. “You—”
“Shh.” He scowls. “Christ, Ava.”
He shakes his head as he stands up and walks toward the door.
“Luke,” I call out to him, and he looks back.
“No more,” he reiterates.
I feel my lip quiver as I nod.
“Good girl.” He turns and walks away.
NINE
----
When you find real love after you’ve been living in a tornado it’s the best feeling in the world.
— S. Armstrong
When they pull out of the driveway, I sink down on the kitchen floor, holding the pan I made sausage gravy in while staring at the balloons floating around the kitchen.
No second chances.
Easier said than done.
Luke spoke to me more today than he has in years.
Luke wishes he could take it all back, make it go away.
I can’t help thinking that, if I hadn’t been such an idiot, he would have been in my bed last night. More importantly, he wouldn’t look so torn about us.
Us? God, what is wrong with me? I ask as a smiling sun floats toward me.
I reach for my phone when I get a message alert.
Harper: Piper would love for you to come play.
At this moment, I know that is the distraction I need.
Me: Be there in an hour.
I arrive at Harper and Maddox’s home just before noon and am greeted with a great big smile and the warmest hug from Piper. Immediately, I feel better.
“Your hugs could save the world.”
She takes my face in her chubby little hands and says, “Are you sad?”
I shake my head, and she nods.
“Wanna play?”
“I would love to.”
We spend the day in the family room, watching The Nutcracker and singing and dancing. She is wearing her pink tutu, and I am wearing her white one, which looks absolutely ridiculous. It almost covers my ass.
Dad and Tessa walk in an hour into our playtime, and Dad laughs as we both leap and twirl and fall. Gracefully, of course.
Lunch is almost ready when Dad pops in and holds out the crown I used to wear.
“You’re missing a piece to your costume, Ava.”
“This is not a costume, Daddy. We are singing, dancing princesses, right, Piper?”
She is looking at the crown on my head like it is the most amazing thing she has seen.
“Would you like to wear it?” I ask, taking it off.
She smiles. “It’s yours.”
“You know,” I tell her, walking over to my bag and pulling out a pair of sunglasses, “I used to wear this crown every day. It didn’t matter if people thought it was ridiculous; I refused to take it off.”
“Except for bath time.”
I look up to see Logan in the doorway.
“Yes, except for bath time.” I laugh. “But I grew up and went to school and then college, and then I got a job. I can’t wear it anymore, because”—I pause, trying to choose my words carefully since every girl deserves to believe in fairytales and happy ever afters—“it got a bit too small for my big head.”
“You got that right.” Logan laughs.
I toss him a glare then look back at Piper. “So now, I think, if it fits you, you should wear it every time you need to feel sparkly.”
“Do you think it will fit me?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” I place it on top of her platinum blonde curls.
Dad gasps, and I do the same.
Her blue eyes widen. “Does it fit?”
“Oh, Piper, it fits beautifully. In fact, I think it was made for you.”
“But it was yours,” she says as she turns and looks in the mirror.
“But I grew up, and it hasn’t fit on any other little girl’s head as perfectly as it does yours. So it’s now yours. It chose you.”
“What will you
“Yep,” Luke says, looking at me.
“Where are you two off to?” I look between them.
“Double date.” Logan grins. “Two chicks at the gym.”
I look away and nod. “Have fun.”
Luke takes his time putting on his boots while Logan saunters out the door.
“If I could take it back, I would.”
“But you can’t,” I say.
“No, I can’t any more than you can take away last night.”
“You did that!” I seethe. “You—”
“Shh.” He scowls. “Christ, Ava.”
He shakes his head as he stands up and walks toward the door.
“Luke,” I call out to him, and he looks back.
“No more,” he reiterates.
I feel my lip quiver as I nod.
“Good girl.” He turns and walks away.
NINE
----
When you find real love after you’ve been living in a tornado it’s the best feeling in the world.
— S. Armstrong
When they pull out of the driveway, I sink down on the kitchen floor, holding the pan I made sausage gravy in while staring at the balloons floating around the kitchen.
No second chances.
Easier said than done.
Luke spoke to me more today than he has in years.
Luke wishes he could take it all back, make it go away.
I can’t help thinking that, if I hadn’t been such an idiot, he would have been in my bed last night. More importantly, he wouldn’t look so torn about us.
Us? God, what is wrong with me? I ask as a smiling sun floats toward me.
I reach for my phone when I get a message alert.
Harper: Piper would love for you to come play.
At this moment, I know that is the distraction I need.
Me: Be there in an hour.
I arrive at Harper and Maddox’s home just before noon and am greeted with a great big smile and the warmest hug from Piper. Immediately, I feel better.
“Your hugs could save the world.”
She takes my face in her chubby little hands and says, “Are you sad?”
I shake my head, and she nods.
“Wanna play?”
“I would love to.”
We spend the day in the family room, watching The Nutcracker and singing and dancing. She is wearing her pink tutu, and I am wearing her white one, which looks absolutely ridiculous. It almost covers my ass.
Dad and Tessa walk in an hour into our playtime, and Dad laughs as we both leap and twirl and fall. Gracefully, of course.
Lunch is almost ready when Dad pops in and holds out the crown I used to wear.
“You’re missing a piece to your costume, Ava.”
“This is not a costume, Daddy. We are singing, dancing princesses, right, Piper?”
She is looking at the crown on my head like it is the most amazing thing she has seen.
“Would you like to wear it?” I ask, taking it off.
She smiles. “It’s yours.”
“You know,” I tell her, walking over to my bag and pulling out a pair of sunglasses, “I used to wear this crown every day. It didn’t matter if people thought it was ridiculous; I refused to take it off.”
“Except for bath time.”
I look up to see Logan in the doorway.
“Yes, except for bath time.” I laugh. “But I grew up and went to school and then college, and then I got a job. I can’t wear it anymore, because”—I pause, trying to choose my words carefully since every girl deserves to believe in fairytales and happy ever afters—“it got a bit too small for my big head.”
“You got that right.” Logan laughs.
I toss him a glare then look back at Piper. “So now, I think, if it fits you, you should wear it every time you need to feel sparkly.”
“Do you think it will fit me?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” I place it on top of her platinum blonde curls.
Dad gasps, and I do the same.
Her blue eyes widen. “Does it fit?”
“Oh, Piper, it fits beautifully. In fact, I think it was made for you.”
“But it was yours,” she says as she turns and looks in the mirror.
“But I grew up, and it hasn’t fit on any other little girl’s head as perfectly as it does yours. So it’s now yours. It chose you.”
“What will you
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