me giving you the green light if you ever get a chance to fake a break-in.”
“You’re drunk. We should talk about it tomorrow.”
“I’m not that drunk.”
We head back to the quad where April is curled up on the couch with her phone.
“Poor girl. Where is her boyfriend?”
“No idea. I thought Matt was coming today, but I guess not. Ooh, want to watch a movie? Have you seen Practical Magic? It’s the best.”
She throws on the movie, and I fall asleep with Maya’s feet touching my leg.
Not on my lap.
If we were a real couple, they’d definitely be on my lap.
25
Grant
I flutter my eyes open to the sound of a girl sniffling.
To my surprise I fell asleep on the couch last night. I rub the sand out of my eyes and see Maya sitting next to April, consoling her.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Matt still hasn’t texted her. Or returned her calls. She’s just feeling really off,” Maya says, then turns her eyes downward.
My stomach lurches. Maybe I don’t care if someone doesn’t text me back—but it’s wild to see April like this.
April goes on. “Maybe I’m just hungover. I get like this sometimes…when I’m hungover.”
“When I get hungover, I just feel like death and want to eat all the cheese fries,” Maya shrugs.
I smile, but April doesn’t even laugh.
I get up and move over to their couch, on the other side of April. Maya sits on the other cushion.
I ask April, “Well, what are you most worried about? That Matt…is…what, exactly?”
She shakes her head. “It’s not just about Matt.”
Maya interjects, “Well what’s it about?”
“I’m worried that I’m just a basic girl. Why would anyone really love me? I don’t have anything that’s truly special about me.”
“Oh, honey. Honey.” Maya wraps her up. “Everyone deserves love. Do you understand that? Every single person on this Earth deserves to find love, and that’s a fact.”
“Well, what if some people aren’t?”
“Grant?” She turns to me. “Can you help me out here?”
I nod, and extend my arm on the banister behind the couch. “April, you’re down. Do you need me to tell you all the reasons you’re great?”
The hint of a smile pulls at her mouth. April shrugs. “Is there anything really great about me?”
Maya reaches behind April and squeezes my wrist.
I say, “First of all, you’ve been such an amazing friend to Maya. We talk about you all the time and how uniquely terrific you are. We’re still trying to figure you out, and we love that. You think differently than us about sex, religion, and a lot of things. But you still respect everyone else’s views and never judge. Still—you don’t just sacrifice your own person at the drop of a hat. You don’t become something you’re not just to make someone like you. And that, April, that’s something not enough people do these days. And that’s you.”
My eyes shift to Maya.
I could well be saying the same thing about her.
You don’t sacrifice your own person at the drop of a hat.
“Basic? Really?” Maya runs her hand through April’s hair, and giggles. “You’re hot as hell.”
April shakes her head fervently. “I should dye my hair. Or cut it. I don’t know. I just want to…become someone else. You guys ever feel like that?”
Maya and I exchange a concerned glance.
I don’t think there are many people who are as comfortable in their own skin as Maya.
I say emphatically, “How did this idea get in your head? You’re freaking beautiful.”
Maya adds, “Are you kidding me? Look at your damn legs.”
Maya jokingly starts to pull up April’s pajama pants, revealing her calf.
“That is one hot ankle,” Maya jokes.
“You do have hot ankles,” I second. “And hot feet.”
April’s eyes widen. “You think I have hot feet?”
I wink, and Maya shakes her head at me from behind April.
Maya cuts in. “April, I love you. We love you. And if Matt’s not giving you the attention you deserve, the tough fact is…you need to cut him off, honey. That’s that.”
I add, “You’re not getting the love you deserve. That seems to be true.”
“Why would he tell me he’s coming though? And then just go…dark? It just makes no sense.”
“Because Matt is shady as fuck,” Maya seethes. “And you need to—”
Just then, April’s phone buzzes on the coffee table. She grabs it instantly.
April says, “Oh, look! It’s him. He just got here. And he said he fell asleep and wanted to drive down early instead.”
April gets up, smiling. “I’m going to get dressed for him!”
When she runs into the room,