The Certainty of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, #5)(34)

I shake my head. ‘I’m sure I did when I was still with my parents, but the memories are too foggy to remember it – most of them are anyway,’ I say, my heart constricting in my chest at the painful reminder.

Instead of giving me a look of pity, determination fills his expression. ‘Then how about this? How about we celebrate the shit out of all the holidays. Every single Goddamn one. Every single year.’ When he stops at a stop sign, he turns to face me in the seat and lifts his pinkie in front of me. ‘What do you say? Are you in?’

I know his words have much bigger meaning than just celebrate a few holidays, but I’m not sure if I’m promising them to the full. Still, what he’s proposing sounds like something I’ve always wanted, but never let myself want, since I was about five years old. So I hook my pinkie with his and decide to give it a try. ‘Okay, Mr. Stoically Aloof, I’m in.’





Chapter 17


Violet


‘Oh my God, I think I’m going to die.’ I breathe through my nose because the smell of the mat I’m lying in is more pungent that spoiled eggs left out in the sun on a hot, muggy day. Seth is lying next to me, something he did after he declared he wasn’t a gym person either. Greyson, however, is, at least the kind that loves to run on treadmills, but I’m not too surprised, considering how cheery he was this morning about going.

Seth and I are hanging out on the mats, lying on our backs, staring up at the ceiling, the sound of clanking and grunting surrounding us. Callie’s doing some sort of kickboxing class, and Greyson’s on the bikes. There’s this super poppy song, with an upbeat beat and lyrics playing, and it makes me want to find the stereo and break it.

Nope, I’m not a morning person, something I’ve known for a while, but it’s been made clear to everyone that is graced with my presence today.

‘Give me some of your coffee,’ Seth playfully demands, reaching over me to steal my iced-latte.

I swat his arm. ‘No way. Get your own damn coffee.’

He lets out a frustrated grunt as he lies back down on the mat. ‘Greyson wouldn’t let us stop to get one. He said we were running late and that it was my fault therefore I had to go without coffee.’

‘Dude, he’s so hardcore,’ I joke, because Greyson is anything but that.

‘Totally,’ Seth agrees sarcastically.

Sighing, I sit up and offer him a sip of my coffee. ‘But don’t drink it all or I’ll have to kick your ass.’

He shoots me a doubtful look as he takes the coffee from my hand. ‘I highly doubt that. You may act a badass, but you’re so not.’


I eye him over purposefully. He’s wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves fashionably rolled up to the elbows, dark jeans, and his hair is tousled and has these blondish highlights that look like he spent some time in a salon to get. But now I live with him I know that’s not the case, that they’re a-la-natural. He looks very Hipster, which would be fine except we’re at the gym. ‘Look who’s talking. You look like you’re getting ready to go to a concert instead of going the gym.’

‘Oh, speaking of concerts.’ Seth takes a long drink of the coffee then hands it back to me. ‘There’s an awesome one playing tonight at The Silver Moon Grill. No one huge or anything, but there’s a pretty good lineup. Plus, it’s freaking Halloween and it has a theme and everything. You should come.’

I look at him suspiciously. ‘Did Luke tell you to invite me?’ He seemed so set on getting me out of the house more that I have to wonder.

He looks lost. ‘No … I haven’t even told him about it.’ He pauses. ‘Why would you ask that?’

I shrug, sipping on my coffee. ‘It’s not like you invite me to hangout or anything. You only started talking to me civilly a couple of months ago.’ I wonder if it’s because he pities me with all the shit going on, although Seth doesn’t seem like a person who pities people a lot. He’s actually pretty blunt, which I can handle, but this morning he’s been tiptoeing around me, probably with what happened last night. If I were them I’d think about moving out with the girl who attracts the crazy. It’s not like I want them to; it just seems like it’d be safer and easier for them.

‘And vice-versa.’ He leans back against the wall and stretches out his legs in front of him. ‘You’re just as much of a drama mama as me honey.’

I sip my coffee then set it down on the mat. ‘I prefer the term interesting and never boring.’

‘That is not the same.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ I pause. ‘Why are you nice to me now, though.’

He shrugs again, staring at his shoes. ‘When I first met you, it seemed like you were a real bitch to Callie and kind of a whore, but after learning who you are, I realize my first observation was wrong.’

I am curious what he thinks of me now, but not enough to ask him. Deciding to change the subject, I put my legs out, doing a lame attempt at the splits, figuring I can at least pretend like I’m getting warmed up to do something. I’m wearing tight shorts and old t-shirt and my hair’s pulled up in a ponytail. ‘Fine, if you really want me to go to the concert, I will,’ I tell him. ‘As long as it’s after dinner with Luke’s dad and Trevor and Luke can come with me.’ I’m sure he will want to, since we promised to celebrate the shit out of holidays only a half an hour ago.