This Is How I Live Now by Lesley Larosee

Author:Lesley Larosee [Larosee, Lesley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-04-02T05:00:00+00:00

18. COHEN

I don’t usually worry about dates and hanging out with girls, but the thought of Lily coming over has my head a scrambled mess. I’ve said and done so many weird and awkward things around her, I’m surprised she even agreed to come later today.

“I’m heading out for a bit,” my mom yells as she walks out the door to the garage. “I’ll pick us up some lunch on the way back.”

I drag my heavy feet to the stairs, dreading the schoolwork they’re taking me to. I stop halfway when the doorbell rings.

As I open the door, a cool spring breeze hits me, along with the shock of standing face to face with Chloe. On a school day. During school hours. Right at my front door.

“Hi!”

“Oh. Hey, Chlo.”

“I didn’t go to school today.” Her face crumples into a frown. “Some days you just can’t handle it, you know?”

I nod.

“I brought you this.” Chloe hands me a jar filled with gummy bears. Tied around the neck of the jar, with curled red ribbon, is a note that says, “Life is unBEARable without you.” I cringe slightly at the sight of it.

“Oh, and these.” She shoves a plate of chocolate-chip cookies toward me. “I made them myself.”

“Thanks.” I picture Chloe standing over a sheet of freshly baked cookies, chanting a love spell and sprinkling some kind of cupid dust on top. It’s safe to say that I’ll hand these over to my dad to enjoy.

My feet hold me in place just inside the open doorway. I’m hoping I don’t have to move them. Hoping she’s just dropping off the treats and leaving.

“Can I come in?” she asks.

My brain works quickly, processing her terrifying words and coming up with ways to get out of this without being a jerk. “Sure. Sorry, my brain’s not working. I’m kind of tired.”

“No problem,” she bubbles, walking past me and bouncing up the staircase to my room. “Your voice sounds really different.”

When I catch up to Chloe, she’s standing just inside my room with her hand resting on the footboard of my bed. I stand in front of her.

“Wow, that looks bad, Cohen.” She reaches up to the wound above my eye, and I recoil from her touch. “Sorry,” she says.

“It’s okay. I just don’t like anyone touching me right now.”

She raises her eyebrows, and her eyes soften in that sympathetic look I get so often now. “When are you coming back to school?”

I shrug.

“Everyone misses you.” My eyes follow her small hand as she touches my arm. “I miss you.”

My instinct is to draw back from her touch again, but I don’t. “Thanks.”

As we stand there, I ruminate on all the things I need to do today. There’s my digital schoolwork, and I was planning to run by Beck’s and break the ice a little. Not to mention Lily’s visit later. All this leaves me feeling a little cold toward Chloe.

She pulls her hand away and crosses her arms. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, of course not.

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