His mom frowns.
Hurt seeps into his voice. "This is it for me. I can't keep rescuing Bree. If she doesn't get clean this time, I'm walking."
I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. That's the right decision. The mature, healthy decision.
But it's not easy.
I squeeze his hand.
He squeezes back.
"She's your sister," his mom says.
"I know." He stares at his plate. Mixes chicken and rice. "But I'd rather be an asshole than an enabler."
His mom looks to me like I have all the answers. "What do you think, Iris?"
Okay, this is it. I need to nail it.
"I don't know Sabrina, but Walker filled me in on her history." Under the table, I squeeze harder. "There isn't one answer with addiction, but whatever you've been doing hasn't been working. You need to draw that line. You need to make sure she knows that staying high isn't an option. That it means she's out of the house and out of your lives."
His mom swallows hard. "And if she chooses staying high?"
"She has to hit rock bottom on her own." And we have to hope that's enough.
His mom looks to Walker. "You're sure about this?"
"Yeah. I already called the center. They have a spot for her next month," he says.
She looks to her husband.
He nods.
"We need to think about this, sweetie." Mrs. Williams presses her lips together. "I know that isn't what you want to hear. I know you want all or nothing. But if Bree is destined to use forever, I'd rather she do it here than somewhere else."
Walker's lips turn downward. He stabs a piece of chicken. Stares at his food like it's poisonous. "I'm not gonna wait forever."
She nods. "I know."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Iris
"You're my good luck charm." Walker brushes a stray hair behind my ear. He stares into my eyes like I'm the source of all the beauty and wonder in the universe.
It's right there on his cell phone. A text from his mom.
You're right. We need to push her. Let's set something up in a few weeks.
His parents are going to throw down an ultimatum.
They're going to push his sister into rehab.
It's fucking weird they're telling him in a text.
But it's good.
My shoulders relax. My chest warms. It's like it's my sister who's finally getting help.
His relief is my relief.
I want this for him so badly. "You would have gotten through that without me."
"Maybe. But I wouldn't take that bet." He plants a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. "Pretty sure that was eighty percent you convincing them."
"It's the PhD thing."
He nods. "Yeah. It would annoy me that they think I'm an idiot because I'm not in school, but I'm too happy to care."
Light bounces off our sleek white table. We're at a trendy ice cream place in Beverly Hills for dessert and… well, I guess it's a celebration now.
My coffee ice cream with chocolate chips on top is rich, creamy perfection.
And he's here. And this is going to be okay.
And we…
Well, if he really does mean the past is the past, then we'll be okay too.
Does he mean that?
I'm trying to believe it.
I want to believe it.
"What about last night?" I suck ice cream off my plastic spoon. "When I stumbled into your place to find your sister high on your couch?"
"She'd have been there either way."
Probably true. "She always goes to you?"
"Yeah." He licks chocolate chip ice cream from his spoon.
"And you're the only person who really lays down the law?"
"As far as I know."
"She wants you to help. Deep down."
"Incredibly deep." He sets his spoon down, slides his arms around me, and pulls me onto his lap.
There's all this trust in his eyes. I want all of it. I want to deserve all of it.
"I feel greedy as fuck."
"Are you about to steal my ice cream?"
He shakes his head. "Taking all your help. Monopolizing the conversation."
"I'm glad to help. And listen."
"Still." He stares up at me. "You're thinking something."
"Always."
"What?"
Something I'm not ready to say. I reach for something else. "About those summer internships."
Walker brushes my hair behind my ear. "Which way are you leaning?"
"I don't know. Do you want me to stay?"
"I want you to live in my bed."
"I'll get chaffed."
"It will be worth it."
My smile spreads over my cheeks. God, he does something to me. Makes me feel like the world is going to be okay. "I can stay."
"You don't have to."
"I know." I want to. "I have time to decide."
He nods. "You're still thinking something?"
"This is good. I'm happy for you. Really."
"Me too." His lips brush mine. "But there's something else."
"Maybe."
"Your sister?"
"Always." It's always the same. But I'm starting to think it's salvageable.
"Anything I can do?"
"No." I take another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. It tastes sweeter. I'm starting to believe him. "I think I'm going to call her."
"Yeah?"
"Apologize for everything. Ask to see her. To buy her coffee. She works in Santa Monica. I could do it anytime. I just…"
"Scared she'll say no?"
"Basically." I sink into his body, resting my head against his.
"You want me to hold your hand?"
"No. That won't help. My ex… Ross. He was a friend of hers. She wasn't happy about that."
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"You stole her boyfriend."
"No. Maybe. She had a boyfriend at the time." Maybe Lily did have a thing for Ross. She made him sound so great when she described him. I thought it was because she wanted to set us up. But she might have wanted him for herself. "It was more than that. I leaned on her more than she could handle."
He pulls me closer. "Tell me about it."
"Don't you want to celebrate?"
"I want to hear this."
Okay. I want to tell him. But I'm not about to bring down the mood with my ugly past. Not if it doesn't matter to him.
I run my fingers over his neck. "It's a long story."
"I've got all night."
I motion to the door. "This place closes in an hour."
"Damn. I forgot that this ice cream shop is the only place in the world where we can have a conversation. Fuck. We better hurry up."
"Asshole."
"You can come over."
Maybe. I want to. But—"I have an early class."
"We can go to your place. Sleep."