by Cait Marie
Lila let out a quiet chuckle. She could tell how much he wanted it. He didn’t need to say it. Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek. “I know.”
“I just…”
He didn’t need to explain that either. She knew he worried about the surgery. Taking things further would only complicate it and hurt him more if she forgot. With a smile, she pulled away and got to her feet before reaching down to help him up. He held the towel in place with one hand as he accepted.
It took all her willpower to look away from his muscled torso. “I’ll wait downstairs while you get dressed.”
She didn’t wait for a response. As she headed down the hall to the stairs, she heard him groan and curse before hitting something. She wanted to laugh at his response—she never thought about having that kind of effect on anyone, and it surprised her—but her smile quickly faded as she moved downstairs. She wasn’t sure if the frustration in that groan was about simply having to stop or if it was because of the reason to stop. And that made her heart ache.
When Gavin joined her in the living room, he was fully dressed, and the smile was back in place. He sat beside her on the couch and quickly pulled her in close. She happily leaned into him while he turned the TV on. They argued back and forth on what to watch before picking a show to binge, and before long, she was drifting to sleep in his arms as he laughed at the old reruns.
“Gavin Thomas Miller!”
His eyes snapped open at the sound of his mother’s voice. He looked from her to the sleeping girl in his arms. Lila had napped on and off as they’d watched Parks and Recreation all afternoon, only stopping to make dinner. At some point, they’d shifted to lie down, and both fell asleep. The TV in the background asked if they were still watching, and Gavin could see the dark night sky out the window.
“What time is it?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. His other arm was trapped beneath Lila, who still hadn’t stirred.
“After eleven.” His mom crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip.
He placed a hand on Lila’s shoulder and shook gently. “Lila, wake up.”
She mumbled something about five more minutes while rolling over to bury her face against his chest. He couldn’t help but laugh, and he brushed his fingers through her hair.
“Her parents were worried sick when they showed up to an empty house. They came over, but no one answered the door, and with the car in the garage and lights turned off, they assumed no one was here.”
That woke Lila up. She turned and nearly fell off the narrow couch. Gavin quickly wrapped an arm around her waist as she said, “What?”
“I told them you were probably at Dylan’s,” his mom said. Gavin and Lila sat up while she continued, “Then he showed up at the Scoop, and you wouldn’t answer your phones. So, I had Kaley close up while he brought me home to look for any signs of you.”
“I’m sorry,” Lila whispered.
Gavin put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not,” his mother nearly shouted. He hadn’t seen her that angry in a long time. Not at him anyway. His father was another story. “You scared everyone.”
Guilt coursed through Gavin. With her recent hospital visit, their fear made sense. “I’m sorry, Mom. We fell asleep.”
She gave them a pointed look, and he saw Lila duck her head from the corner of his eye. “Walk Lila home, then get back here so we can finish this talk.”
“Did you tell my parents?” Lila’s soft words were barely audible.
“I just texted your dad that I found you both here asleep. I won’t lie to them.”
Lila nodded. She’d never been in trouble in her life. She was always the good one, and he knew that, even though they didn’t do anything, the whole situation upset her. He took her hand and stood, pulling her up with him. They quickly moved out the door and across the yards to the Weston house. A light by the front door illuminated their path. He could see more lights through the curtained living room windows. Her parents waited just inside, no doubt.
She hesitated before the door, seeming to think the same thing. “They’re going to be so mad.”
Gavin turned her toward him and placed a hand on her cheek. “It’ll be fine. They’ll be happier that you’re okay than mad. Just let them get it out and remember how scared they must’ve been.”
“When did you get so wise?” She grinned up at him, and he was happy to see the amusement back in her eyes.
He slid his hands down to her waist as he leaned in close. “Are you kidding? I’m a pro at facing angry parents. I’m the one always messing around, getting in trouble, remember?”
She rolled her eyes. A flutter in the curtain caught his attention just before her lips pressed to his. He wanted to get lost in the touch of her, but the door yanked open, flooding them with light, and they pulled apart.
“Goodnight, Gavin.” Mr. Weston’s firm tone matched his stony expression. Just behind him, Mrs. Weston looked at them with a hint of happiness in her eyes.
Gavin cleared his throat. “Goodnight.” He glanced at Lila. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
Biting at her bottom lip, she nodded and followed her parents inside. He waited until the door clicked shut to wander back home, where his mom waited at the foot of the stairs inside.
With a sigh, he sat beside her. “Nothing happened. We just fell asleep watching TV.”
“You two cannot do this.”
“I thought you wanted us to live in the moment and enjoy our time.” His voice raised with his anger. “Now, you don’t want us together?”
“That’s not what I meant,” she said. “Of course, I do. But you cannot just disappear like that without telling anyone.”
“We didn’t disappear though. We were at home.”
“Not answering your phones. If something had happened—”
“I would have rushed her to the ER and called them,” he interrupted. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of needing to do that. “She’s fine.”
His mom nodded before standing and changing the subject. “You two looked so at peace. I almost didn’t want to wake you.”
He chuckled and got to his feet. “It was a good day.”
She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms again. It seemed to be her permanent stance around him.
“Not that good,” he said, holding his hands out in front of him, palms out. “I didn’t corrupt your precious Lila, no worries.”
“Good. Now, get to bed.” She pointed upstairs. “You’re both working the early shift in the morning.”
He told her goodnight then went to his room. Thoughts of his encounter with Lila on the floor earlier filled his head as he climbed into bed. He smiled up at the dark ceiling for a long while, unable to fall back asleep.
Lila’s Summer Bucket List
Sleep under the stars
Attend a party
Get a tattoo
Use fake ID to sing karaoke in a bar
Stand under the lights on the football field
Go on a date ❤️
Sneak out of the house
Visit the baby goat farm
Go to Chicago
Midnight swim
Spend a day in bed watching movies
Stay up to watch the sunrise
❤️ Be kissed in the rain
Run through the halls of the high school
Conquer a fear
Paintball
Try something new
Dye hair pink
Sneak into movie theater
Climb water tower
17
Friday
“Good morning,” Kaley said as Lila walked into the main lobby of the Scoop.
Lila smiled and greeted her while grabbing her apron. She wasn’t sure what the Millers had told the girl about her absence, but by Kaley’s cheerful attitude, she guessed it wasn’t the truth. Mrs. Miller took the morning off, leaving the final training to Lila and Gavin. The latter o
f whom had not arrived yet.
With the toppings all set up, they flipped the open signs and waited for the day to begin. Kaley turned on a local radio station, and they stood at the counter in awkward silence.
Lila cleared her throat. Her jealousy the week before no longer existed, but she still wasn’t sure about Kaley. They hadn’t had many classes together. She did know one thing though, and it was time to move on and be able to talk about it. “So, you’re going to Bennu?”
Kaley nodded, her enthusiasm and excitement evident in the way her eyes widened. Lila bit the inside of her cheek as Kaley talked about her introductory courses and theater major. Lila was happy for her, even if it broke her heart to think about what could have been if things were different. The tumor wasn’t the reason for the change. She could have waited and started later if necessary.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to study music anymore. As Kaley went to start getting ice cream out, Lila looked around the Scoop. She loved the place far more than she let on. It was the reason she’d debated changing the plan the last couple years. She’d finally made the tough decision the previous summer to go for a business degree instead. The tumor only truly affected her school choice.
Mrs. Miller was beyond thrilled about Lila’s interest and had encouraged her from the beginning. After talking with her parents, she applied to an online school so she could start from home while recovering. Transferring to another school was an option for the future, but she wanted to continue working there. Everyone loved the Scoop, and she wanted to learn how to build it up into something even bigger. She just prayed that she’d still want that in a few weeks.
Arms snaked around her waist as warm breath tickled her ear. She hadn’t heard Gavin come in, but she relaxed into his touch.
“What are you thinking about so hard over here?” he whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder—an incredible talent with their height difference.
She leaned back into him and let her eyes drift shut for a moment as she covered his arms with her hands. When he began humming against her ear, she smiled. “I don’t want this to end.”
Gavin tightened his hold on her before releasing enough to spin her around. His hand slid along her jaw. “It won’t.”
Lila didn’t have time to question him before his lips were on hers. He tasted sweet, as if he’d already been into the candy. She gripped the front of his shirt to pull him closer, but a throat cleared, and they broke apart.
Kaley bumped them to the side to put the ice cream in the glass case. Grinning, she said, “This is adorable, but don’t contaminate the food area.” She winked. “I could use some help.”
Gavin gave her a mock salute then followed to the freezer, leaving Lila to stare after him. She brought a hand to her lips. A small family trickled in as Gavin and Kaley brought out the rest of the ice cream, and Lila took their order.
“Why didn’t you wait for me this morning?” Gavin asked as they worked side by side.
She ignored Kaley’s raised brow and the flush rising in her own cheeks. “My parents were up when I was getting ready. I thought it’d be easier to just leave quickly than deal with them again.”
“How much trouble did you get into?” His voice lowered as he prepared a cone beside her.
Lila passed over a dish of vanilla ice cream to a mother while he handed the cone to a young girl. She laughed as the girl tried to put sprinkles on top. That was going to end horribly. The mother quickly grabbed her hand and helped.
“Lila?”
She shook her head. “Not much. With everything going on, it’s like they’re afraid to punish me. My dad looked like his head was going to explode from holding back. I could practically see the steam coming from his ears.”
Gavin chuckled. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure my mom would’ve killed me for him.”
Grimacing, she looked up at him. “Was it that bad?”
“No,” he said as they began serving another family. “She just wanted to make sure I didn’t corrupt her favorite child.”
Lila rolled her eyes. Mrs. Miller had always acted like a second mother. Just as her parents treated Gavin as their own. “I am not her favorite.”
“Of course not.” He smirked and sent a wink her way. The family took their ice cream to a table outside, and they had a brief moment of rest.
“I’m pretty sure if it weren’t for the surgery, my dad would have grounded me until I was like thirty. By the time I’m all healed up, it’ll almost be our birthday. And even then, I will have to go back regularly for a while to make sure it’s completely gone and nothing returns.”
He grinned, and her brow scrunched. It wasn’t exactly a happy conversation. She thought back through her words, trying to find the source of his smile. As he leaned in closer, he whispered, “Our birthday.”
She mirrored his happy glow, quickly brushing her lips against his. Kaley laughed behind them. “It’s about time.”
Lila looked to her in surprise, but she couldn’t keep from smiling. As much as she hated to admit it, Kaley could easily become a friend. They seemed to have a lot in common. Kaley was good at working the shop too, which made Lila glad she had stepped up to fill in immediately.
Kaley kept up with the increasing crowds well all day—Fridays were always busy. Streams of people flooded in, not slowing until dinner time.
Lila wiped at her head, lingering to rub her temple, as the last customer left.
“Are you okay?” Kaley asked.
She started to nod, but before she could say anything, a hand covered hers. Gavin looked deep into her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” she said, shrugging.
“What’s going on?” Kaley moved closer, concern etched in her features.
“I’m fine,” Lila repeated. “It’s just a headache.”
“Do you need some Tylenol?”
“That would be great, thank you.” Lila smiled as the girl reached under the counter for her purse.
When she produced a small bottle of pills, Lila took two and thanked her again. Kaley grabbed a water for her. Gavin didn’t move as she took the medicine. He stood at her side with one hand on her back. As Kaley went to take an order at the window, he pulled Lila against his chest. She gratefully took his support, closing her eyes to hide away from the throbbing pain. Arms wrapped around her as he gently kissed the top of her head.
“Lila?” Mrs. Miller’s voice interrupted them.
Lila opened her eyes, trying to smile. “It’s just a headache. I’m fine, really.”
Mrs. Miller quickly approached and placed the back of her hand against Lila’s forehead. After a second, she nodded. “Why don’t you head home and get some rest?”
“Are you sure? It’s been really busy today.”
“Yes, go. We’ll be fine.” She turned to Kaley who watched them with open curiosity. “Can you drive her home? Gavin and I can take over here.”
Gavin’s arms tightened around her as Kaley said, “Of course.”
“I can take her,” he said.
Lila turned to face him more. “Kaley needs a break. She’s been covering all week.” When he refused to let go, she placed a hand over his heart. “I’ll be fine. Promise.”
“Text me if it gets worse please,” he whispered, bringing a hand up to her cheek.
She nodded and let him kiss her one more time before stepping away. As she took off her apron she asked, “Will you bring me back later to get my car?”
“We’ll take care of it,” Mrs. Miller said. “A friend dropped me off, so we can each drive home. Just go get some rest.”
Lila thanked her and followed Kaley out to her small blue car. The pale color could’ve easily blended into the early summer sky above them. They both climbed in, and as Kaley started the engine, Lila smiled at the music that came to life.
Kaley turned it down a little but left it playing as she pulled out of the parking lot. “Is that okay? I can turn on the radio instead.”
“No
,” Lila said, wincing at her own loudness. “I love Dear Evan Hansen.”
They rode in comfortable silence—so unlike their morning—and sang along quietly. When they reached Lila’s house, she unbuckled her seatbelt but stayed sitting. She turned, pulling one knee up to face Kaley. “What did you mean it’s about time?”
Kaley laughed a little, fidgeting with her dangling keychain. “I didn’t know you two before high school, but I heard stories about how close you were. People talked about it whenever you would get into one of your fights at school.”
Lila leaned against the seat, waiting for more.
“I don’t know if you remember, but I was at the homecoming dance freshman year. I didn’t really know anyone since we’d just moved here. My mom made me go, saying I’d regret it if I didn’t.”
“My mom did the same,” Lila said.
Kaley nodded. “Gavin and Dylan practically dragged me into their group when they saw me sitting by myself. At first, I thought Gavin was flirting with me. I quickly realized he was just being nice. He was nice to all the girls—dancing with the ones who asked. But then I noticed something.”
“What?”
“He never asked anyone to dance. He only said yes to people—I assume to not hurt their feelings. Throughout the night though, he kept looking to the far corner of the room. I couldn’t figure out who he was looking for until Kyle mentioned he was going to ask you to dance.”
Lila swallowed hard. She knew that part of the story. “Gavin told him not to because I wasn’t worth the trouble. I know, I overheard him.”
Kaley looked at her with wide eyes. “So, you knew how he felt then?”
“I thought he hated me. I didn’t know it was anything else…”
“How could you not know? Everyone knew.” Kaley tilted her head to the side. “Wait, was that the only part you heard?”
Lila could only nod. She’d run to the bathroom to cry after that and called her mom to pick her up.
“Kyle didn’t stop there. He said some pretty nasty things about you—about not caring if you were trouble because he just wanted to… I saw this rage flash across Gavin’s eyes,” Kaley went on. “Even in the years since then, I’ve never seen him so angry. He slammed Kyle into the wall. Half the baseball team had to pull him away. The teachers rushed in to break it up and everything.”