Page 21 of What If It Was Us
“I’m so glad I’m a girl.” I made the sign of the cross.
Jackson smiled at me again, eyes traveling over every inch of my face. “Thanks for bringing my homework. You didn’t have to do that.”
My whole face felt hot. “No problem, Jackson.”
His eyes flickered toward the TV. “How was work without me on Saturday?”
“It was fine, it just took Julie and I longer to close because she was on the phone half the time, arguing with someone.”
Jackson rolled his eyes. “Lesbians are so dramatic.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
He looked at me again and smiled with one side of his mouth. “You are so sheltered, Addie. Julie—she’s a lesbian. She’s always got a new girl she’s arguing with. She loves the drama.”
“Oh,” I said stupidly. Apparently I was sheltered, because I had never heard of anything like testicular torsion before, or how to tell if someone was gay. “Do your parents know?”
Jackson raised his eyebrows now. “Yeah,” he said confused. “They’re pretty old-fashioned, but they don’t care that she likes girls; they’re not assholes.”
“I know!” I said quickly. I felt like an idiot for even insinuating they would care. “Your parents are cool.” I snuggled back into the chair, feeling like a little kid who got yelled at for accidentally cursing.
“I didn’t mean to get defensive,” Jackson added. “Jules drives me insane, but she’s still my sister.”
I wished I cared about Peter the way Jackson cared for Julie. Or that Peter cared about me the way Julie cared for Jackson. She messed with him a lot, but it was out of love. She picked up the remote for him even though he hit her with it, got him a glass of water even though he didn’t ask, and she drove us around after work with no complaints even though she was nineteen and in college. What was it like for someone to stick up for you and defend you? To want to protect you even when you weren’t around?
Jackson turned on a movie, and we both fell asleep before it finished. I woke up later that evening to Phil and Marie coming home from the restaurant, and they fed Jackson and I pizza for dinner. I helped Jackson with his homework before Julie got home, and then she drove me back to my house. I got my bike out of the truck bed myself, and walked it to the side of the house.
Jackson didn’t come to school for the rest of the week while he recovered, and everyday I rode my bike over after school with his homework, ate dinner with the Delvecchios, and had Julie drop me off after.
When Jackson came back to school the next week, I was almost disappointed because I wouldn’t have an excuse to come over every day after school anymore.
Chapter 11
NOW
June
Wren called me the next day, and our phone call quickly turned into a FaceTime. Mia’s smile filled the screen as she showed off her adorable smile. “Do you think they’ll say I need braces?” she asked as she pulled back one side of her lips to show me a side view. As if I hadn’t seen the girl twenty four hours ago, and forgot what her teeth looked like. “Only the orthodontist can give you an answer,” I said with a smile. Most of the time Mia felt like a little sister, and Wren like my older sister, or a mother figure. She was thirty-four when she had Mia, so she was almost fifty now. I swear she still didn’t look a day over thirty.
Wren stole the phone back from Mia. “It’s been such a drag without you,” Wren said dramatically.
“How will you ever survive?” I teased as I opened a bag of Chex Mix. Jackson’s snacks from yesterday were still on the table. I’d had a bag of sour gummy worms for dinner last night.
“Mia has never been to Michigan, so we’re planning a trip because we miss you so much.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get me excited!”
“We’re serious!” Mia squealed. “We’re flying up tomorrow; we rented a lake house. Dad already took off work!”
“George actually requested off work?” I said in disbelief.
Wren stole the phone back. “You better believe it. We land at nine tomorrow morning. We’ll pick you up on our way. I’ll send you the address. It’s somewhere on Lake Huron.”
The thought of already getting a break from being at the house, plus getting to spend time with Wren, George, and Mia sounded fantastic. “How many days?”
“Just three—it’s all George could get off. We’re renting a car so you don’t have to pick us up or anything.”
“You guys are insane. I can’t wait, though,” I added excitedly. It felt good to know it had barely been two days, and this family missed me just as much as I missed them.See, this is what people who love you do.
