Surprises
WINTER
“About damn time! We’ve been waiting here for hours.”
Overwhelmed, I hold on to the nearest piece of furniture I can find, trying to take back my sobriety from the killer tequila shots in my veins.
“Dumbass. You jinxed it. We were supposed to scream Surprise!”
This isn’t possible.
“Shit. You’re right. Surprise!”
I blink once.
Still here.
I blink twice.
Still here.
I can’t believe it.
Will and Kendrick are sitting in my kitchen.
“What the fuck are you guys doing here?” Haze asks. I bring a hand to my racing heart and relive the memory of leaving them in Maria’s kitchen less than twenty-four hours ago. I cried for these idiots. But now they’re here. In my house. In Canada.
“Ask Kendrick. It was his idea.” Will motions to my cousin, who’s shamelessly sitting with one of his legs on the table, with his chin.
Kendrick gets up. “A little bit after you left, I realized I had no plan for the summer. School’s over, I’m getting real fucking tired of all these attacks on us, and what happened to you yesterday, it just… it made me think, you know? I’ve had enough. I’m free for the first time in forever. Not to mention my mom talked to yours today, and Lauren told us we could come visit anytime. So, long story short, I’ve decided to spend the summer with my lovely family in their covered-in-snow country.” He gives me a wide smile. “By the way, key under the welcome mat, not the best hiding spot—you should tell your mom.”
This is all so unexpected that it takes both me and Haze a solid second to understand what’s just been said. So, basically, my cousin, whose family I visited for a few months, is now visiting my family for the summer.
To think I was worried I’d miss him.
“And you?” I turn to Will. I know wherever Kendrick goes, Will usually follows, but I didn’t think that rule went as far as changing countries.
“I…” Will starts, but his words trail off. I’ve never, in the whole time I’ve known him, seen this guy speechless—except for when he saw Kass in her prom dress. He eventually shrugs and says, “I needed to get away.”
I nod, but I’m not convinced. He looks like hell. Dark circles rim his empty, almost ghostly eyes, and his smile is so forced it must hurt his face. He doesn’t look like… well, Will.
Something’s definitely up. Trouble in paradise, perhaps? Last I heard, Kass was getting sick of him refusing to tell Kendrick about their relationship. But then again, I saw Will pull Kass into a room at prom. They never returned, and I assumed it meant they’d made up. Did they break up? Did Will finally tell Kendrick? No, I doubt they’d be here together, on a summer trip, if he had. Finding out that your best friend has been sleeping with your little sister behind your back can’t be good on a friendship.
“I was very disappointed that there’s no snow, by the way,” Will says.
“Oh, for God’s sake, it’s the summer. Does the entire world think we have snow all year long?”
“Well, yeah, duh.” Will cracks a faint laugh, but I can tell his heart’s not in it.
“Where’s Alex? He didn’t come with?” I glance around the room.
“Nah. He couldn’t make it. He had some things to do this summer, but don’t worry, he’ll happily annoy you from afar. He promised to call,” Kendrick says.
“He had some things to do,” Will scoffs. “More like someone. Does he really think we don’t know he’s met a girl?”
I frown. “You mean he’s cheating on Mia?”
“Oh, right, you don’t know. They broke up,” Kendrick says.