Chapter Thirteen
Nora
It’s Friday night and everything is wrong. Mr. and Mrs. Costas are with Eli at the ER, and Ari is with me. Mom’s still not home from class, and I invited Abby over to hang out, in an attempt to expand my social life.
She’s grounded, but her parents let her come anyway.
“Thanks for getting me out of the house.” She pushes through the kitchen, arms laden with Chinese takeout, into the dining room. “Five months until I leave for Miami. I might not survive.”
She’s majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Miami. I’m not sure if she got any scholarships, but her dad is a dentist and her mom was a child TV star, so I don’t think money is really an issue.
“Why’d they let you out?” I ask.
“Oh, because it’s you. My mom thinks you’re perfect. She totally trusts you.”
I stop and stare at her. It’s been years since I’ve even seen her mom. “Why?”
“Because you never do anything wrong?”
I grab some paper plates from the pantry. “Doesn’t she remember the vodka incident of sophomore year?”
Abby groans. “That was eons ago. And I know deep down she thinks it was all me.”
I screw up my mouth—she thinks I’m a total nerd. “I remember it being a pretty mutual decision.” I guess I’m the only one who learned a lesson.
Ari joins us in dining room, Marie trailing after him. “Have you met Ari?” I ask her.
“You’re Eli’s brother? Hey. You want an eggroll?” she asks him.
“Yes,” he says and sits.
“Do you want me to get rid of Marie?” I ask him. She can get annoying, especially at meal times.
His eyes snap to mine. “No!” I know he’s anxious. He knows something’s wrong with Eli. He takes a bite of eggroll. “Eli’s dying,” he says with his mouth full.
I reach out to him, careful not to touch. “He’s not dying, Ari. He hurt his knee, but he’s going to be fine. He’ll be back home with your mom and dad soon, I promise.”
He doesn’t look convinced.
“Here, hold on a second.”
I have an idea to FaceTime Eli and have him talk to his brother. I text first to make sure he’s available. I don’t want to get Ari’s hopes up. Eli doesn’t even respond to the text before my screen starts ringing in with a call. I answer and there’s Eli, staring up at me.
My heart involuntarily flutters when I see him. “Hey!” I say.
“Damn, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Um, what? “Okay… Hey, Ari’s here. Can you talk to him?”
“Yeah, put him on!”
I give the phone to Ari, who lights up when he sees his brother’s face. “Hey my man, what’s up?” Eli asks. Ari proceeds to interrogate him about where he is, what he’s doing, and when exactly he’ll be home. Eli knows just what to say to ease his mind.
“Okay, dude, I gotta go get an x-ray, but I’ll be home soon. Give me back to Nora, all right?”
Ari nods and hands me the phone.
“Hey.” He’s grinning. “How you doin’?”
I focus on his dimple and not on the fact that he’s in the hospital, hurt. “I’m fine. Are you okay?”
“I’m good. Not feeling a thing. What are you doing?”
Great. He wants to chat. He’s totally high right now. “Just hanging out with Abby and Ari,” I say.
He giggles like a little kid, for a solid thirty seconds.
“Eli?”
“Okay. All right. Good. Just stay away from Tex.”
“What?”
“No, no, don’t worry. I’m not ordering you around. I’m not gonna tell Nora Reid what to do.” He’s giggling again. “He’s just not right for you.”
This conversation is getting weird. “Okay. I should go, Eli.”
“Okay?” He turns to someone offscreen. “Okay gotta go. Bye.”
“Oh my God,” Abby says and takes a bite of her lo mein.
I puff out a breath. “What?”
She swallows. “He totally wants you.”
I’m very aware of Ari, still busy eating his eggroll. I lower my voice. “No, he doesn’t. We’re friends. And he’s on drugs.”
A corner of her mouth turns up. “Girl, what we say on painkillers? That’s what we mean.”
I push around my fried rice with my fork. “No. We’re friends. He’s my ride, that’s the only reason we hang out so much. He’s my driver and only for a little while longer.”
She chuckles “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“I’m getting my license. The Friday before spring break.” It’s true. I made the appointment after that bizarre conversation at the Tick Tock that scared me into action. I need to stop hanging out with him so much because the crush is not lessening. If anything, it’s getting worse. For the good of science, I need to get my license.
Abby’s eyes get wide—terror, that’s what I see.
“You’re getting your license?”
Translation: you broke that poor woman’s leg, and now you want to drive?
This is one con about living in a small town. Everyone knows your business, everyone is familiar with the skeletons in your closet. Especially the ones with broken femurs.
“Yes, I am.” Times like these I think it might be better to leave. “Don’t worry. It’s been two years, and it was an accident. I know how to drive.”
Her face relaxes. “If you say so.” She takes another bite of food. “You know, you should ask him to the prom.”
I glance at Ari, who is humming now and finishing his eggroll.
Teeth clenched, I glare at her. “No,” I say. “You’re not listening to me, Abby.”
Her gaze meets mine. “Why, because he’s in the friend zone? Pfft! Girl, you’re in control of your own friend zone. Get in there and yank his ass out. He’s totally into you.”
I push away my plate while Ari still hums. “Why don’t we watch a movie?” I suggest, desperate to get off the subject of Eli—and me.
“Someone’s in denial,” Abby sings.
“I’m not in denial.” What I am is beginning to wish I hadn’t invited her over.
She points at me and almost chokes on her fried rice. “Yeah you are. Look at you, you’re beet red!”
My head’s about to explode as I will her to stop talking.
“Why are you beet red?” Ari asks, confused.
“I’m not, Ari. No worries. Hey, you wanna watch Netflix?”
He nods. “Yes, SpongeBob.”
Good. SpongeBob is the answer to all the world’s problems. We all get up to go the family room.
“Totally wants you,” Abby says.
“Stop,” I argue. “You’re wrong.”
“Mm-hmm. Denial,” she says as she flops onto the sofa and puts her feet on the coffee table, “ain’t just a river in Egypt.”
I ignore this comment, and turn on SpongeBob. Besides, it’s not denial. I fully admit that I am attracted to Eli Costas. I just need to get over it. Now.
He doesn’t get home with his parents until long after midnight. I run to the bathroom window when I hear MJ rattle up the driveway. Mr. Costas hops out of Eli’s truck and then makes his way to their car behind it. Both Mr. and Mrs. Costas help him out, handing him a pair of crutches.
My heart sinks. And hurts, too. I know Eli so well. I know how much this season means. Meant. I also know he doesn’t think he has any other prospects in life except for lacrosse, and that kills me. He’s got so much going for him. I wish he believed it, too.
I watch them go to the back of the house. My mom opens the door for them. She went over when she got back from class so that Ari could get to bed. I consider going downstairs when she gets home and getting the details from her, but I know whatever happened, it’s bad.
I want to text him, let him know I’m here. Then I think of what Abby said tonight, how she thinks he likes me—how she thinks I like him. Does he? Does he like me? I mean like me, like me? It’s not possible. I’m the one who, regardless of my hypothesis, can’t stop thinking about him.
I can’t text him. Can I?
I don’t need to answer that, because he texts me first.
Torn ACL and meniscus. Season over. :(
I’m so sorry. Lots of pain?
Nah. MRI Monday. Can you get a ride?
Of course, don’t worry about me.
Sorry, habit.
Habit. My habit is fantasizing about him shirtless, his habit is making sure I’m okay.
I’m a bad person.
I go back to bed, reminding myself how no matter how Eli makes me feel, I can’t give up on science. I can’t. It’s the only thing you can count on. The kiss—I’ve got to find the guy who does it right. When I do, Eli will still be in my life, but he will just be my friend. For real, just friends.
That will mean I can worry about him and care about him. Even love him. I just can’t be his. He can’t be mine—and that has to be okay.