Every Other Weekend(78)

I half laughed, thinking she was kidding. Cherry knew I’d been psyching myself up for having to ask them to pay for the film program, and after the horrific ordeal I’d gone through getting a dress for the dance with Adam, I was expecting it to nearly kill me.

But Cherry didn’t laugh with me, she frowned.

“I need to talk to him,” she said.

“Um, no,” I said, all the humor fleeing from my face. “You don’t.”

Her jaw tightened. “Fine. Then call him for me. Tell him—”

“Cherry, no. Let him go. Seriously I—” I almost told her I knew what a good boyfriend should be like and Meneik wasn’t it. Except Adam wasn’t my boyfriend. As a friend, he was kind and thoughtful, and he went out of his way to make me feel special—he’d almost made me believe him when he said all those things the night before. That was what a boyfriend should be like, not Meneik’s controlling, manipulating garbage. Cherry deserved someone who would treat her the way Adam already treated me.

Whether I was worth it or not.

“You can either be my friend and help me or...” She stared me down, the rest of her words unnecessary.

“I’m trying to be your friend,” I told her. “I’ve watched this guy turn you into a meek, paranoid...thing, constantly apologizing for the slightest offense he imagines, forcing you away from your friends and making you feel guilty for every second that you’re not thanking him for putting up with you.” I’d stopped whispering at some point, and Gabe was obviously listening. “A year ago, you’d have smacked me if I’d wanted a guy like that.”

“Except someone would have to want you in the first place, and no one ever has.”

The air rushed out of me, and my lungs refused to expand. It was like the worst impact I’d ever felt on the field, and she hadn’t even touched me. She didn’t just mean no guy had ever wanted me; she’d meant no person.

It didn’t help that her eyes shot wide the second the words left her mouth. She tried to take them back the rest of the way to my house, but between the rushing in my head and Gabe yelling at her, I heard nothing. And besides, how do you apologize after voicing the deepest darkest fears of someone’s soul?

I wanted to get out of the van and I flung my door open as soon as Gabe pulled into the driveway despite the fact that my mother was waiting for us on the porch with a phone to her ear.

“No, wait, she’s here. She just pulled up.” My mom ended her call as I climbed out of the minivan.

Cherry and Gabe got out, too.

“Jolene, wait, please,” Cherry whispered as Gabe’s voice rose loud enough to keep my mother from hearing her and asking questions.

“Sorry we kidnapped your daughter on her birthday,” Gabe said. “We brought her back in one piece though.” Cherry kept shooting desperate glances at me but I wouldn’t meet them. I couldn’t. It hurt enough to keep breathing.

“Thank you for bringing her home, Gabriel, but it’s time for you and Cherish to leave now.”

Gabe hugged me tight like I needed. “Don’t forget I love you, okay? Promise or I won’t let go.”

“I promise,” I whispered back. “I, um, have a feeling I might not make it over later, so thank Grady and Dexter for my present.”

Gabe finally released me. He didn’t look at his sister either as he got in the car. Cherry brushed a tear from her cheek as she followed.

As soon as they were gone, every last ounce of civility left my mother.

“Where were you?” Dragons breathing fire scorched less than my mother’s voice. If I wasn’t so shredded over Cherry’s words, I might have felt apprehensive, but she’d already taken Mrs. Cho from me; she could scream all she wanted now.

“The DMV. Look.” I pulled my license from my pocket and held it up. “It wasn’t a big deal.” I brushed past her to the front door. “And anyway, it’s done. I’m starving, so I’m going to go find something to eat.”

“No.”

“No?” I turned back to her where she was still perched on the bottom step. “No, I can’t go in, or no, I can’t—what is that?” I pointed past her to a snow-white Lexus parked beside her silver BMW with a giant red bow on top of it.

“You got me a car?” Excitement burst inside me like a firework, bright and shocking, only to vanish a second later. “Why?”

“I didn’t get you a car.”

“Uh, yeah, you did.” I was still pointing at it. My arm refused to lower as I walked toward it. I shook my head. It was still there.

“I told you, I didn’t. And it’s going back.” Her phone rang and she immediately answered it. “Yes? And? What did he say? No, I absolutely do not agree. Where did he get the money? Tell him that’s what I want to know. No, no, that is complete fiction. I can’t believe he’s doing this to me today.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “He can’t let me win this one. Even when he loses, he pulls something like this. Oh, you can bet he’s going to regret it. I know, I know, yes. Okay. I will. I won’t.” She hung up and strode toward where I stood fingering the red ribbon on my car.

“This is from Dad? Did he bring it himself?” I’d coiled the ribbon around one finger and the satin fabric was starting to cut off my circulation.