Page 64 of More For Me

“Drink more coffee,” Will advises. “We have work to do.”

“We really, really don’t.” I look between the three of them. “I’m serious. Whatever you’re thinking right now, just stop.”

“You can’t keep going on like this, man,” Leo says. “You’re miserable.”

“I’m not—”

“I’ve known you for a long time,” he cuts me off. “I’ve never seen you the way you were when you got back last night. And it wasn’t just about Ari’s birthday.”

“So what the hell am I supposed to do about it?” I snap, temper right on the edge. “In case you didn’t notice, trying to set us up on stupid dates didn’t help. Sending her flowers with a fake note from me—” I glare at River. “—didn’t help.”

“That was Violet’s idea,” he says, holding up his hands.

“I do not need the entire Ransome family in my business.”

“Too bad,” Will says. “That’s what you signed up for when you started hanging around all the time.”

“You’re one of us now, Bodhi. You need to get used to it.”

I narrow my eyes at River. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You think that if you say nice, sappy stuff to me my sentimental side will take over and I’ll agree with whatever nonsense you’re thinking.”

Will laughs. “Your sentimental side is pretty predictable.”

“Not this time, buddy.”

“It’s not just about you though, Bodhi,” River says. “Everly isn’t happy either.”

My heart twists at that, the image of her sitting on the floor fresh in my mind. I don’t say anything.

“Do you really want to keep going on like this, man?” Leo asks. “Pretending all the time?”

We sit at the table for a long, quiet moment, sipping our coffee while I let those words chase each other around my head.Everly isn’t happy either. Do you really want to keep pretending all the time?

A chorus of cell phone beeps break our silence, several phones going off at once. “Probably someone on the group thread,” River says, going to pat his pockets before realizing he’s in boxers. “Where the hell are my pants?”

“I think you got rid of them after the tequila came out,” Leo says. “You kept talking about how they were restricting the natural movement of your knees. It was fucking weird.” He stands up as the notifications go off again. “I think mine is in the couch. I vaguely remember something about the couch.”

Will pats the pocket of his hoodie, before frowning. “Is one of the beeps coming from the freezer?”

I make my way to the appliance and find a phone sitting behind the milk carton on the top shelf of the fridge. “What the hell did you guys even do after I left last night?” I mutter as I turn on the screen. Then my breath catches.

It’s a message from Everly, not in the full group thread, just to Leo and her two older cousins. This must be one of their phones.

Everly:Based on how much alcohol you boys had, I’m assuming you’re feeling pretty rough today.

Everly:I’m having breakfast sent over from June’s diner.

Everly:Will you please make sure Bodhi eats some pancakes? They always make him feel better.

I stare at the screen for a long time, letting her message settle over me.

Theydoalways make me feel better. But not because of some magical effect of the food itself, whatever Everly might think. Pancakes make me feel better because it’s one of those quirky little things about her that shows how much she cares about other people. Even if she has regrets about what happened last night, she’s still concerned for me this morning.

A moment later, Leo appears in the kitchen doorway. He must have found his phone in the couch because he’s looking at the screen, too. Then his eyes rise up to meet mine, his lips tugging up at the corners. He knows exactly what I’m thinking.

“Fine,” I say, determination settling into my chest. “You guys are right. It’s time to do something.”

River and Will start to cheer but cut off when they see me walking to the hallway. “Hang on,” River says. “I thought we were going to brainstorm Team Bodhi 2.0.”

“I don’t need to brainstorm. And I definitely don’t need any help.”

Maybe Everly and I have made her cousins watch too many rom-coms over the years, because River looks deflated, like I just robbed him of a nice treat. “What are you going to do then?”

I set the fridge phone on the table and grab my mug, draining the last of the coffee. “I’m going to find her. Then we’re going to talk.”