“Shopping.”
“Daniel and Henry?”
“Daniel’s still out, and Henry’s taking a shower.” I sat opposite Dawn, and we both picked at our food; neither of us were hungry. I couldn’t remember when I was. “I want to be out there too.”
I nodded. Being in her position must be the hardest. There was nothing she could do but sit around. Someone had to be here in case Sum called or came home. “I know you do. But we might hear something. If Summer came home, she would want to see you.”
Dawn looked up, titling her head and smirking. “Lewis, if Summer walked through that door right now, you would be the first person she ran to. I used to think teenage love was fickle until I saw how much my daughter loved you. Just the way she looked at you. It’s how I look at Daniel. I knew then I was wrong about young love.”
I swallowed. That was hard to hear. I never thought she really loved me, not in the same way I loved her, and not because she didn’t say or show it, but because it didn’t seem possible.
“I hope we’re still together hundreds of years on, like you two.” Her mouth pulled up into a grin. “I love her, Dawn, and I won’t ever give up. Besides, I told her I’d marry her at Disneyland.”
“Marry her at Disneyland?”
I smiled. We weren’t going to say anything to anyone—besides it was just a dream—but I wanted it now more than ever. “I know. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her as excited as she was when she found out you can get married there.”
“Do it as soon as she gets back,” she said.
In any other situation, Dawn would be telling me I was crazy for talking about marrying her seventeen-year-old daughter. I envied people that had problems that small. You never know what’s around the corner. I would never again not do something just because I was worried about what other people would say or think.
After I forced down half of dinner, I went to Summer’s room. I wasn’t sure what to do next. All I wanted to do was go back to Colin’s and search every inch of his house. “Where have you been?” Henry questioned the second I walk into the room. He sat on her bed, obviously waiting for me.
“You know where.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “And?”
“Couldn’t see much through the windows, but I did see four pairs of women’s shoes stacked in boxes by the stairs.”
“How do you know they were women’s shoes?”
“New Look boxes. Colin is definitely hiding something.” Henry opened his mouth to start the lecture, so I held my hand up. “His place was creepy, man. I’m not exaggerating or looking too far into it. He’s a single man living alone and buying women’s shoes. His house is a spotless family home surrounded by high hedges and trees.”
“Okay, the shoe thing’s weird. I’ll give you that.”
“But?” I prompted, raising my eyebrow.
“But it doesn’t prove anything.”
I walked over to Summer’s dressing table, where she had a few photos of us stuck around the edge of the mirror. “I know it doesn’t. That’s why I’m going back in the morning. I need to get inside.”
Tuesday, December 30th (2008)
“I’m starving, walk quicker,” Henry snapped.
“I don’t think you’ll die between here and Pizza Hut, which is about three feet away,” Summer replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, why are you with us again, Sum?”
“Well, actually there are two of my friends and one of yours, so what are you doing with us?”
“Okay,” Kerri yelled. “Both of you shut up.” Sum and Henry fought all the time. They loved each to death, but most of the time, they wanted to strangle each other. If I were their dad, I would have gone crazy by now.
Henry opened the restaurant door and walked ahead. I hung back with Summer, holding the door open for her. “Thanks,” she said, smiling up at me. I gulped and smiled back. As we walked in, I made sure I was close enough so my arm “accidentally” brushed against hers. For a while now, I had suspected she wanted more than friendship, and as soon as I found out, it hit me like a fucking bus—I wanted more too.
Henry, Kerri, and Beth were already following a waitress to a table. Man, Summer walked slow. “So, you hungry?” I asked. Oh God! How stupid is that? “So, you hungry?” Jesus, Lewis! I winced, mentally kicking myself.
Summer laughed. “Yep.”
“Getting your weird pizza?”