Page 56 of People Like Us

Chapter Twenty-Two

On Thursday afternoon, my father stopped me as I was headed out the door—I had gone home to change into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and hadn’t expected my parents to be home. “I didn’t hear Andy pull in,” he said from his spot on the sunken sofa.

“He’s not here,” I said quickly. He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “I have other friends I hang out with, Dad.” He lifted an eyebrow in question, but seemed to let it go.

When I rolled into August’s driveway, he was already waiting outside. Before I even cut the engine, he’d swung the door open. His hand brushed mine as I climbed out, and I felt a warmth spread through my chest.

“Hi.” I beamed at him.

“Hi,” he echoed, drawing me close. He buried his nose in my long hair and inhaled deeply. His arms wound tighter around me, pressing me against his lean form. My heartbeat thumped against his in tandem.

August always smelled clean in a way that was distinctly masculine, but today his hair and clothes still carried the scent of the rain that had been pouring all week. I wanted to drown in it.

“I’ve missed you.” His words were muffled against my head but drilled right into my heart.

“I missed you,” I breathed, my arms tightening around his waist.

“Everyone’s inside.” He leaned around me to pull my bag from the passenger seat, then looped his heavily ringed fingers through mine to lead me toward the house, his thumb stroking the back of my hand.

As soon as we crossed the threshold, he dropped the contact, and a chill rushed through me at the sudden gap between us. Penelope, Angelica, and Morgan sat on the couch, braiding colorful cords together. Ben and Wyatt were on the floor, game controllers in hand as Wyatt shouted at the TV.

“Do you want something to eat?” August asked, nodding at the coffee table, strewn with pizza boxes and soda bottles.

I shook my head and offered a polite smile. He gave my shoulder a quick squeeze, then patted the empty chair beside the sofa. I sat, and he sank to the floor in front of me, leaning back against my knees then looked up at me with a grin so soft it made my heart skip. I spread my legs to make room and pressed my thighs around his shoulders. The feeling of his fingers wrapping around my ankle nearly startled me.

“That cardigan is killer,” Penelope admired from the far end of the couch.

I glanced down at the dark green knit trimmed with brown fur. “Thanks. I added the collar myself,” I admitted, surprise dancing in my throat. Only Emily knew my thrift-store sewing habit.

“That’s so cool! I always struggle with fur. My machine is a wimp,” Penelope said, her attention still focused on the green and gold bracelet she was weaving.

“I use an upholstery needle by hand. I can show you,” I offered before I could second-guess myself. An image of Emily tracing delicate fingers over my mother’s sewing machine flashes through my mind, and the offer suddenly feels like Judas’s kiss, but Penelope was already nodding enthusiastically before I could take it back.

“Pen’s going to school for fashion,” August informed me over his shoulder.

My brows raised, impressed. “Where at?”

“State,” she said enthusiastically.

“That’s where Jack wants to go,” I said, feeling that guilt turn in my stomach again.

Penelope’s smile dipped. “Great,” she said flatly.

“He’s taking a gap year, so you probably won’t see him much,” I added. I felt bad for Jack having to stay home an extra year while his father died, but I was selfishly grateful I wouldn’t have to hear Emily talk about the two of them going to school together.

“Did you bring a record?” August asked, pulling the vinyl sleeve from my tote.

“Oh, yeah. I saw you had a player the other day. I thought we could listen to it. Seems sacrilegious that Stevie Nicks is one of my favorite artists and I’ve never heard her on vinyl.”

Angelica leaned over, plucked the case from his hands, and carried it to the credenza holding the turntable. “I knew you were a badass when you crashed our DND night with your Barbie, but you really sealed the deal for me when you bought this the other day.” She dropped the record on the spinner, set the needle, and a fuzzy static crackled through the speaker before the music bloomed. Angelica nodded her perfect ringlets in time to the beat.

Penelope bent over Ben’s controller and paused their game with a tap.

“Hey!” Wyatt protested.

“Dance with me,” Penelope ordered, dragging Ben up. He looked surprised but didn’t resist. Morgan leapt to her feet and bumped hips with Angelica, laughter tumbling from her.

I tapped August’s shoulder and he leaned forward so I could stand. I crossed the room and offered my hand to Wyatt, who glared up at me with beady eyes.