Chapter 128
Summer's POV
I quickly checked my reflection in my phone's dark screen. Still in my sweatshirt, no makeup, hair in a messy bun. I looked exactly like what I was—a girl who'd spent the day rejecting her ex-boyfriend and thinking about someone who didn't want her.
I tapped Lily's contact and waited, my heart beating too fast.
The call connected. Lily's face filled the screen, bright and excited. She was wearing pink princess pajamas with her hair in two small braids. Behind her, I could see that familiar cramped living room—peeling wallpaper, the old TV with its grainy picture, the sagging couch with its faded upholstery.
"Summer!" She waved enthusiastically, her whole face lighting up. "Look! Look at all my cards!"
She held up a thick stack of construction paper hearts—some store-bought with cartoon characters, others clearly handmade with glitter and crooked writing. She went through them one by one with the kind of serious concentration only an eight-year-old could muster.
"This one is from Emily—she's my best friend! And this one is from Jake. He said my cochlear implant is cool and he wants one too even though he can hear fine." She giggled. "And this one has a puppy on it! See?"
I made all the right encouraging sounds, smiling at her joy. But my eyes kept drifting to the background, searching for any sign of Kieran. I could see the small kitchen table with two empty plates and a cupcake wrapper. A pile of what looked like his clothes was folded neatly on the couch. But no sign of him.
"Lily," I said gently. "Where's Kieran?"
She looked up from her cards. "Oh! He's taking a shower. He worked a lot today—he had a tutoring session after school, and then he went to help at The Happy Patty even though Tony said he didn't have to work tonight because it's Valentine's Day." She lowered her voice like she was sharing a secret. "But Kieran said he needs to save more money, so he went anyway."
Of course he did. My hands tightened around my phone.
"That strawberry cupcake he got you sounds really good," I said, trying to keep my voice light.
"It was so yummy!" Lily's eyes went wide. "He said I deserved something special because I did really good on my spelling test. And he said Valentine's Day is about showing people you love them, so..." She trailed off, looking suddenly shy. "Summer, did anyone give you something special today?"
I thought about Evan's roses, now probably wilting in a trash can somewhere. "No," I said honestly. "But that's okay. Sometimes the best Valentine's Day is just being with people who care about you."
"Like me!" Lily bounced excitedly. "I care about you, Summer!"
"I care about you too, Lily." My throat felt tight. "So much."
She beamed at me, then suddenly gasped. "Summer, you look so pretty! Even in your sweatshirt! Your eyes are so sparkly!" She leaned closer to the camera, studying me. "Are you sure you didn't have a romantic Valentine's Day? You look like a princess!"
I laughed despite myself. "I promise, Lily. Just a quiet day."
"Well, you should have had a romantic day," she said firmly. "You're so beautiful. Boys should be giving you flowers and chocolates and—oh!" Her eyes went huge. "Summer... do you like someone? Is that why you look all sparkly?"
My face went hot. "Lily—"
"You do! You do like someone!" She practically vibrated with excitement. "Is it my brother? Do you like Kieran?"
"Lily!" I could feel my whole face burning. "I—that's not—"
"I knew it!" She clapped her hands together. "I'm going to tell him right now! Kieran! Kieran, guess what—"
"No! Lily, please don't!" The words came out too loud, too desperate. "Please. Don't tell him."
She stopped, looking confused. "Why not? If you like him, he should know!"
I bit my lip, trying to figure out how to explain this to an eight-year-old. "Because... he has a lot on his mind right now. A lot of important things to worry about. I don't want to make things harder for him."
Lily tilted her head, considering this. Then she nodded slowly. "Okay. I won't tell." She leaned in close to the screen and whispered, "But Summer... I think he likes you too. Sometimes when you text him, he looks at his phone for a really long time. And his ears get all red. That's how I know he's feeling shy."
My heart did something painful in my chest. I could picture it so clearly—Kieran staring at his phone, trying to figure out what to say to me, his ears betraying him the way they always did when he was flustered.
"Lily—" I started, but a voice in the background made me freeze.
"Lily, it's time for bed."
Kieran.
I watched Lily turn toward the doorway. "But I'm video chatting with Summer!"
There was movement, and then suddenly he was there, leaning into frame. He wasn't wearing a shirt—just sweatpants, his hair damp from a shower. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, his jaw tight. When he saw me on the screen, he went completely still.
For a second, neither of us spoke. I took in the sight of him—the lean muscle of his shoulders, the old scars on his right arm, the careful blankness he wore like armor. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"Hi," I said softly.
His jaw tightened. "Summer."