“Mmhmm. I like it.”
I walk to Hadley’s bed, gently setting her down.
“Need me to do a monster check? Look under the bed? In the closet?”
“Will you stay?” she asks, eyes still closed. “Platonically. Just snuggle. Friends snuggle, right?”
It’s another mixed message, another blurred line that has common sense instructing me to go, but fuck if I’m not already horizontal, tucking my arm under her head so she can cuddle as close to me as possible.
Chapter24
Hadley
“Should we eat before we go?” Hannah asks.
It’s been a week since Halloween, yet Halloween-themed parties are still in demand. “I think so, don’t you? I’m sure all they’ll have is warm beer.”
“It might be stale, too,” Hannah teases.
“Yum,” I say sarcastically. “Did you hear back from Katie? Are she and Carsen coming?”
Hannah shakes her head. “She asked for a raincheck, though.”
“I think I’m going to have to tell her soon.”
“About Nolan?”
I nod. “I feel like I’m lying to her by keeping this from her.”
“You’re not lying, you’re just avoiding confrontation.”
“Don’t give me more reasons to avoid telling her. I’m already dreading the conversation.”
“Katie won’t be mad.”
I stare at her. We both know that’s a lie.
“She won’t bethatmad,” Hannah corrects herself. “She likes you. She’ll probably think you’re a good influence on Nolan.”
“Why do you think she said he was impulsive and reckless? Am I being willfully ignorant and ignoring red flags?”
Hannah shakes her head. “I was thinking about this just last week. I have no idea. I mean, aside from the pranks you guys pull on each other, Nolan’s a stand-up guy. Every time we’re out, he’s the first to hold open doors, he’s super quiet in the morning to prevent waking us up, he knows my favorite energy drinks and buys them when he goes to the store…” She shrugs. “Maybe he used to be more impulsive and grew out of it? I don’t know.”
I try imagining Nolan being careless or selfish, and it seems next to impossible.
“Speaking of Nolan, did you invite him to come out with us?”
“Yeah, but he said he probably wouldn’t be able to make it. Tomorrow sounds like a pretty important game. I’ve barely seen him since Wednesday.”
“Maybe Ethan or Colin will convince him to come out with us.”
I offer a hopeful smile and grab a jar of marinara. “Spaghetti?”
“Oh. Will you make that garlic toast again? Do we have time?” She hops onto one of the barstools across from me as I fill a pot with water.
“Good idea.” I set the water to boil and turn on the broiler.
One of the things I’m most grateful for this year is my relationship with Hannah. Over the past couple of months, I’ve learned about our shared love for paranormal shows, and her love for programming that was born from a terrible car accident that had her younger sister hospitalized for the better part of a year, and the only thing they could do together while she was recovering was play video and computer games. I’ve learned she doesn’t know how to boil water, that her dad is obsessively protective, and she has a deep-seated fear of driving beside or behind semi-trucks. Katie still spends most nights at Carsen’s, but when she’s home, I pry into her memories and thoughts as well, making more of an effort than I did during all of last year.