How backwards and round about is our relationship going to be? How in love with him am I going to get before I bother to utter the words?
The barest ghost of a smile touches my lips, but Lex sees it and moves to kiss the corner of my mouth. He rubs his thumb over the spot when he draws back, like he can press the feeling of his lips into my skin forever. “What do you want to do, ideally, sugar?”
“I want to try to tell her everything. Even if it hurts her. If she doesn’t listen or understand anything at all, even just enough to make an effort, I’ll live with you forever.” I rest my head back against his shoulder, melting into the touch of his lips against my forehead.
He murmurs against my skin, “And even if everything does go well, could we potentially consider a partial custody?”
“Ha.” My eyes close, and I try to pretend to be all right.
Lex
~~~~~~~~~~~~
School doesn’t pause, no matter what’s happening outside of it. The next morning, Calypso puts on a little outfit we bought last night—inside a superstore, right beside her favorite cereal, because she said she wasn’t really interested in making me buy her “fancy rich people” clothes—and I drive us to our first chunk of finals.
Considering how poorly I can concentrate, I just hope that Calypso is pulling things together better. The last thing she needs is this whole event to lower her GPA and put any of her financial aid in jeopardy.
When I meet her after the exams, everything appears completely normal.
She even grins when she sees me, like she’s happy, like it’sjust another Tuesday, even though it’s Monday. Stuffing her hands in her cute overall pockets, she crosses the field to meet me. “How’d you do?” she asks.
“Robotic,” I reply. With how I answered every question in near-exact quotes, I’m just hoping I don’t get marked for cheating or plagiarism. “How did you do?”
“Can you believe it? Half the Stats questions were taken from the back of the book’s extra review questions. I did those while I was bored over winter break.”
And, naturally, she remembers them.
Laughing, Calypso swooshes her baggy overall pants. “I contemplated just putting the correct answers and calling the teacher out on reusing the review questions, like students wouldn’t notice, but I behaved, did all my work, and pretended I didn’t know the dark secrets.”
I pat her head, offering a patient smile. “Good girl.”Extending my hand, I sigh into the natural feeling of her not even questioning locking her fingers around mine. We begin walking, in unison, toward our gazebo spot. “We have rehearsal tonight and no other finals for today. Do you have a final tomorrow?” I ask.
Her head shakes. “No. My next final is Thursday. But we have more rehearsals Wednesday. Boy. I sure miss being in sounds and lights. I got to skip all this rush.”
She’s talking about the play like everything is normal and she isn’t even bothered about going through with it, even after everything her mom said. I can’t even imagine what that woman came up with and filled her head with before the brief snatch I caught.
What echoes is she muting?
I bring her hand to my lips. “You look like the protagonist of a mid-grade novel.”
Her mouth drops open, and her eyes shoot to me, wide and aghast. “Well, I never,sir! Never before have I been soinsultedin my life!”
Really? Not even just yesterday?
Nonetheless, I grin, chuckling as she tries to wrestle her hand out of mine. I don’t let her.
“You are baby, not me. Release me at once! This is child abuse.”
“How is it child abuse? If you aren’t baby, then…”
“Ah! Calypso!” Rebecca’s voice streams from beyond the field, the gazebo just barely in reach. I turn to find the girl jetting across the bridge over the river that splits campus, far too energetic for finals week. Or ever. She’s in college, for crying out loud. Why isn’t she toting a coffee and a blanket around like everyone else?
Rebecca launches into a hug with Calypso that pulls our hands apart. “Are you okay?” she blurts. “I was trying to mindmy own business, unlike some people.” Instead of validly glaring toward me, Rebecca rolls her eyes away. “Agatha was clinging to that door like no tomorrow.” The girl sighs and squishes Calypso tight before yanking back and examining her fully, head to toe. Braids to overalls. At last, her gaze skims up toward me, and her lips spread in a wicked grin. “Don’t think I didn’t see you both holding hands. Has love blossomed through adversity? At last?”
Calypso stands tall and proud. “Lex is my emotional support animal.”
I snort. “It’s true.” And only fair to accept, considering I dubbed her my prized little exotic sugar glider.
Rebecca’s expression all twists up. “You two are so strange.” Real concern muddles her brown eyes, dipping her brows just so. It’s the kind of expression I can appreciate. Sincere and real and wholesome.Thatis why I don’t mind Rebecca. Unless she’s acting, all her emotions come readily. I don’t have to put any energy into decoding anything. I’ve never put my finger on it before.
