him from their big proclamation. “So you’re not here to watch me climb, then?”
“Correct,” Charlie says. “I’d actually rather be anywhere than watch you fall off a mountain.”
“Charlie,” Jane snaps. “She’s not falling off a mountain.”
Maximoff rubs the bridge of his nose. “Can we just ban those four words from this point forward?”
Charlie shrugs. “Fine.” The fact that Charlie chose not to take the low hanging fruit and rile Moffy is another reminder that their friendship has been solidly repaired.
I look between Jane, Maximoff, and Charlie. They have history together that I don’t share with them. High school stories.
Beckett and I—we were the ones that had each other’s backs growing up. It was us against the world. We chose to be homeschooled around the same time. Sacrificed family and friendships and everything in between to pursue a dream. Mine was swimming. His was ballet. He’s the one singular person in my entire life who understands exactly what kind of toll that took.
He was right next to me.
We were together through it all.
But best friends aren’t supposed to lie to each other. They’re not supposed to keep secrets from the person that matters most to them. It was soul-crushing—devastating—to learn about Beckett’s cocaine problem from Charlie. And it’s not like Charlie intended to tell me, he just blurted it out. How could I be so fucking clueless? I wish I’d known. Maybe I could’ve talked to Beckett. Been there for him. Done something more than nothing to help him. And when I did finally find out, Beckett lashed out at me. Said some cruel things that can’t be taken back.
The silver lining is that Charlie says Beckett hasn’t touched cocaine since Scotland.
I hang onto that.
Maximoff comes closer, eyeing my ankle. “How does it feel?”
“It barely hurts,” I tell him.
“That’s good,” Moffy nods. “Farrow should still look at it though.”
I nod, then glance at Charlie. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”
“My brother couldn’t come because of his ballet schedule,” he says. “So I’m here as his proxy.”
That’s hard to believe. “He sent you?”
Charlie cracks his neck. “In a sense.”
“That’d be a no,” I state.
“He’s miserable without you, and I can’t take it anymore. You need to talk to him.”
I let out a long breath. Beckett and I have shared the same air since the fallout, but we haven’t cleared the air. “So that’s why you’re here? To convince me to talk to Beckett?”
“Basically.”
The fact that Charlie had a small influence in getting Oscar & Jack together has seriously gone to his head.
“It’s not fucking happening,” I say.
Charlie shrugs, but he doesn’t push the topic. Maybe knowing that it’s a lost cause tonight.
Arkham barks from outside the motel room, and for some reason it promotes a yawn from me. Fuck, I forgot how tired I am.
Maximoff watches me, “We’re staying in a hotel in the next city over. I can drive your Jeep, if you, Akara, and Banks want to head that way with us.”
I glance at the sleeping mats on the floor. Even though this was a gross pit stop, I’d be bummed leaving it behind.
Skipping a step in the journey sounds like taking an easy out to the hard trek I committed to. I can hear my mom encouraging me to stay. You can meet-up with them soon. Don’t fast-track anything.
“That’s okay,” I say. “I think we’ll probably just crash here. The fucking adventure, you know.”
He smiles. “Yeah, I know.”
I smile back more. “We’ll catch up with you tomorrow though?”
Jane says, “Most surely.”
Charlie climbs off the bed and makes his way to the door with Maximoff.
“How’d you all get here so fast anyway?” I wonder.
“Private plane,” Charlie says.
My brows rise at Moffy. He hates splurging on that luxury for a random trip. “I lost a coin toss with Charlie,” Maximoff admits.
Charlie smiles. “And we arrived on time. So we all win.”
I mention, “Winona and Ben would say the Earth lost.”
Moffy nods strongly.
Charlie just stares at me, “Then you should take pleasure in the fact that we care more about you than the Earth.”
I snort, “Way to spin it.”
“Toujours,” he replies in French as he leaves the motel.
“See you tomorrow, Sul,” Moffy nods and leaves.
Jane remains. Slinging her purse on the crook of her elbow, she twirls to me in her usual breezy way. “So I take it Akara and Banks still haven’t given you an answer on the virginity-taking front?”
I think about Banks’ lips on mine, and my face heats.