He held me for just longer and closer than a friend would. Then he kissed my cheek and let me go, and I felt like I’d been twirled around in circles and set back down. I was actually a little flustered.

Maddy was eyeing me.

“Are you hungry?” Justin asked. “Want to get something before we go see the fish?”

“Uh… I’m okay. Maddy?”

“I’m good. Let me push this,” she said, walking between us to take the stroller.

I was glad she did because Justin used his freed hand to hold mine.

He led us to the elevator and when he leaned over to push the down button Maddy put her mouth to my ear. “You’re blushing,” she whispered.

I jerked my head to look at her and mouthed the word What?

She gave me a wide-eyed Oh Yeah, You Are nod.

I put my free hand on my cheek. It was warm. Knowing I was blushing made me blush harder.

I did not blush. That was not a thing I did.

I guess until now.

CHAPTER 23 JUSTIN

Think of how much room there is for activities,” Emma said, putting her arms out.

“I do like corduroy.”

We were sprawled on a giant bean bag at the giant bean bag store on the third level.

I was so glad she was here.

We’d been to the aquarium, then had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe—Chelsea insisted we eat there once she saw the front of it on our way to Bubba Gump Shrimp. Afterward we stopped at a cookie shop and then went to the old-timey photo place. We did pirates and the fedoras.

I was using every excuse to touch Emma. My knee against hers under the table at dinner, holding her hand, a palm on her lower back as we walked into a store. And if I didn’t know better, I’d say Maddy was wingmanning me. She was attached to the stroller like it was her job to speed push it through the mall five feet in front of me and Emma, and I swear she was doing it to give me alone time with her friend. Right now she was taking Chelsea to the bathroom to wash chocolate off her face while Emma and I tried out different bean bags.

Emma lolled her head to look at me. “Where would you put this thing if you got it?”

“I could probably find a place. The house is a lot bigger than my studio.”

“So is your apartment gone?”

I looked back up at the ceiling. “I still have it for another three months. I couldn’t get out of the lease. But Mom paid the mortgage on the house through the summer so I’m not paying on two places.”

“Will you take me to see it?” she asked.

I looked back at her. “The apartment? Of course. It won’t have any furniture though.”

“I’m only coming for the Toilet King.”

I laughed and we lay there and gazed at each other.

I couldn’t help but think that this is what it would be like in bed with her. Talking and laughing, her hair fanned out under her like it was now.

She bit her lip. “I’m glad I came,” she said.

“Me too. I wanted to show you all Minnesota has to offer. You would have missed the hairpiece kiosk.”

We laughed but it was short-lived. My smile fell and I looked back at the ceiling.

“My life is pretty shitty right now, Emma,” I said. “I’m sure you could find much better dates.”

She gasped playfully. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“I’m serious.”

She sat up and propped her head in her hand, smiling. “I like the dates you take me on. I wanted to come today, and I’ve had a very good time.”

I searched her face for something deeper than what she probably meant, but before I could find it, she glanced at something over my shoulder. Alex and Sarah walked into the store. My sister stopped in front of our bean bag, looking disgusted.

“If you guys are done making out, can we go?” Sarah said, crossing her arms.

I sat up on my elbows. “Hey, how was the amusement park?”

They hadn’t met us for dinner. Besides a quick thirty seconds when they found me on the bench outside Sephora to get cash for the food court, I hadn’t seen them all day.

“It sucked,” Sarah said.

“No, it didn’t,” Alex said. “It was awesome!”

Sarah gave him a look. “Maybe for you. Hanging out with my brother isn’t my idea of a good time. I’ll be outside. I want to go.”

She left the store, and Alex threw his hands up in exasperation and went out after her.

I glanced at Emma and sighed.

“She’s right, you know,” Emma said, sitting up on her elbows too. “You should let her bring a friend next time.”

“Alex didn’t need a friend.”

“Alex is going to have fun no matter what and no matter who he’s with.”

I bobbed my head. “Okay. True.”

She nudged my knee with hers. “You don’t remember what it was like to be that age? It doesn’t matter how cool the thing is, if they don’t have a friend they won’t have fun. Trust me. It will save you a ton of grief, it’s a teenager hack.”

I guess she had a point. I mean, it wasn’t much different for me when I thought about it. I didn’t want to be at the mall—it had lost its novelty for me about fifteen years ago. I was only here for the kids. But with Emma here, I couldn’t think of any place I’d rather be. Even earlier when Maddy was in Sephora and Emma and I sat on the bench outside just talking, Chelsea knocked out in her stroller, it was fun.