Call It What You Want(96)

Rob looks at him. “I’m still not introducing you to Zach Poco.”

Owen doesn’t smile. “If they take your mom, what happens to you?”

“I turn eighteen in six weeks. Ms. London says they can appoint a temporary guardian to make sure I stay alive, but I can stay in my house.” He pauses and takes a heavy breath. “Until I can’t.”

I squeeze his hand again. “Who’s going to be the temporary guardian?”

“I don’t know yet.” His voice cracks again. “But Mr. London said he would do it. He asked his sister to get the necessary papers.” He presses his fingers into his eyes. “I didn’t know what to say. I don’t deserve that.”

“You do,” I whisper, putting my forehead against his. “You do.”





EPILOGUE

SIX WEEKS LATER

Maegan

I’ve never really thought about teachers living in normal houses, but of course they do. Mr. London and his husband live in a townhouse in the southern part of the county. The garage door is open, as Rob promised, and I slide past a small Honda to get to the door at the back. When I knock, Rob throws open the door.

I haven’t seen him in weeks, though we’ve been able to text. Right now, he looks ready to burst, like a kid on Christmas morning, so I smile. “So, are you all moved i—”

He stops me with a kiss, catching my elbows in his hands. “Yes. Come in.”

It’s a basement apartment, sort of. He’s got a bedroom and a private bathroom, along with a tiny refrigerator and the small television that must have come from his house.

His mother has to serve ninety days.

His house has to be sold.

His father has to remain in state care.

But Rob is okay. He had to move out of his house so it could be put on the market. I expected the decision to upset him, but it actually seemed to be a relief. He said he felt like a ghost, living there alone with all the bad memories.

This moment, right now, when he’s inviting me into his temporary living arrangement, is the lightest I’ve ever seen him.

“I love it,” I say, looking around.

“Owen came over yesterday.”

“He told me he was going to.” Once Rob’s attendance grew scarce, I invited Owen to join me and Rachel and Drew at lunch. I was worried they wouldn’t get along, but to my surprise, Drew likes Owen’s quirky honesty—and Owen takes none of Drew’s crap. Drew helped get Owen a job in his parents’ restaurant, and they work the same shifts, so Drew’s been giving him a ride. “What did he think?”

“He thinks I need an Xbox.”

I glance at the ceiling and tease, “The landlords don’t hassle you?”

“They’re great. They have books everywhere.” He smiles, but for the first time, a bit of sadness sneaks into his expression. “They’ve been helping me keep up with schoolwork while everything else has been going on.”

“Nothing like living with two teachers to make sure your GPA doesn’t slip.”

“You’re not kidding. How’s Samantha?”

Duke is allowing her to defer her scholarship until next year, which shocked my sister. Despite everything that happened with David, I think this news was more than she expected, especially since David lost his job. Mom is telling Sam to keep her options open, so right this very instant, my sister is enrolling to take her spring courses online, so she can go back as a sophomore if she can find a balance between motherhood and school and lacrosse. “She’s finally wearing maternity clothes, but she wants me to tell you that she could still kick your ass on the lacrosse field.”

He laughs. “I believe it.”

“Also … Craig finally asked her out, and she said yes.”

His eyebrows go way up. “The Taco Taco guy?”

I nod.

“Wow.”

“She’s been going over there a few nights a week, and she kept telling me that the guacamole was the only thing that settled her stomach.” I roll my eyes, but my voice softens. “Apparently they’ve been talking a lot.”

“Good for her.”

I smile. “Have you heard from Connor lately?”

Rob sobers. I know from our texting that Connor had to move to Oregon to live with his aunt. “He’s having a hard time with it.” Rob pauses. “We talk a lot.”

I wonder if it’s easier that Connor got the chance to start over somewhere new, instead of having to endure school the way Rob did. Then again, he moved across the country in the middle of his senior year. He lost both parents at once.

“I’m glad he has you,” I say.

“Alex says maybe I could fly out over spring break.”

Alex is Mr. London. Rob’s casual use of his first name makes me smile. “It’s so good to see you like this,” I say.

He blushes. “Like the old Rob Lachlan?”

“No.” I lean in to kiss him. “The new one.”