Page 12 of Willa

David

When I leave the bed to clean up and get a wet washcloth for Willa, she gives me a dazed smile. By the time I come back, she’s fast asleep exactly as I left her. There’s a warmth in my chest as I watch her. She looks completely debauched. She looks perfect.

Reaching out, I brush a few strands of chestnut hair off her face. She makes a happy little humming sound, then rolls to her side. I pull the blanket over her and just as I’m about to climb in next to her, my phone buzzes, vibrating against the floor within my pants pocket.

Crouching down, I pull out my cell and shake my head when I see Andie’s name. I’m surprised she didn’t call when we were right in the middle of things. When I see three missed calls, I realize she probably did, but Willa and I were too busy to hear it.

Instead of answering, I pull on some joggers and quietly leave the bedroom. I’m almost to Andie’s door when my phone buzzes again in my hand. I roll my eyes and tap on the guest room door before opening it.

“Finally!” Andie flaps her arms up then lets them fall, slapping the mattress where she sits.

“I asked for time, Andie.”

“And I gave it to you. I heard you come home over an hour ago. I figured that was enough time. Besides, I’m starving.”

“Come on, I’ll make you some food.”

She hops up off the bed and hurries after me. “What happened? Where’s Willa?”

“She’s sleeping.”

“Sleeping? You didn’t make her cry herself to sleep. If you—”

“Relax. She didn’t cry herself to sleep. We talked. We settled everything.”

“Settled everything? Then why is she sleeping?”

I raise my eyebrows at her in surprise. Normally, my sister’s mind is knee deep in the gutter.

“Euw.” She shakes her head. “Just… euw. I do not want to think about you wearing my best friend out.”

“I thought this was your plan, to throw us together.”

“My plan was to show her that facing you wasn’t as bad as she feared. I want the old Willa back. If you hurt her again—“

“I’m not going to hurt her.”

“Ugh. Stop interrupting me.”

“Then stop making assumptions.”

“If you don’t want me to assume, then tell me what’s going on.”

“Willa and I worked everything out.”

Andie frowns as she processes this. “So you’re… together?”

“Yes.” And I can’t help the smile that spreads over my face, because Willa and I are together.

“You’re in love with her,” Andie says it like it’s an accusation.

I laugh. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“If you’re in love with her, why did you turn her away four years ago?”

“Four years ago, I thought Willa was too young for me. Now I don’t.”

“But if you’re in love with her now, you must have been in love with her then. I mean, we’ve only been here for, like, twenty-four hours.”