“I’m existing.”
“Don’t give up on him, Pres. He’ll come around. We all know he will.”
I let off a deep sigh. Everyone keeps saying that, but when? When do I get to live again?
“What did you want, Marcus?”
“I know, I’ve messed up in the past, but you’re still a friend, Presley. I know it hasn’t been easy on you these last few weeks, but I wanted to offer to take you to prom. You should be there.”
“I’m not going, Marcus. But thank you for the offer.”
He lets out a defeated sigh as I choke back my tears, I refuse to be seen as a charity case.
“But hey, y’all have fun, okay?”
“Yeah. Guess I’ll see ya around school then.”
“Yeah. Good night Marcus.”
I get off the phone and reach for the baseball on my nightstand, the one Robert proposed with. Kringle’s tail starts wagging as I toss it back and forth between my hands, he whimpers begging me to play.
“Sorry, boy. Not this one.”
I mark my acceptance, quickly before I change my mind, and take Kringle outside once more. I say my goodnights and go to sleep eager to put today behind me. I have a month and a half left in high school. I wanted to be invisible, and now I finally can be.
*****
The week goes by quickly, the school is buzzing with prom excitement, but I haven’t seen Presley, not in the halls, nor at lunch. I waited where the buses load and unload, and she’s not there. It’s as if she’s vanished and I’m beginning to go insane.
Liv, Trey, and Marcus won't even mention her name. I go out to the ranch and she isn’t there either. The only thing Mr. Keller tells me is that she went to visit the school she decided to attend. I don’t even know which schools she was interested in.
My plan on asking her to prom was falling apart by the second. She didn’t need some grand gesture, all she needed was for me not to be a dick, but I was failing miserably. I had everything for her, the shoes, the dress, it was navy like Liv told me it needed to be, and now the box was sitting on my bed, the contents inside more than likely would go unworn.
Trey barges into my room, completely out of breath. “She’s. Back.”
I look up at him in astonishment. “If I find out you’re messin’ with me I’ll kick your ass.”
“I’m not. Just dropped Liv off at the ranch, and she said to pick her up at five.”
“And Presley’s there?”
“I saw her with my own eyes.”
Hell, yes. Maybe I still have a shot. This is it, though. One chance to not blow what I feel like could be the rest of my life.
Chapter Thirty
Trey and I are dressed in our tux’s. He’s cool as a cucumber, while I’m a bucket of nerves, Trey drives my truck as I shake uncontrollably in the passenger seat.
“You alright, man? You look like you’re gonna be sick. You know we don’t get the deposits back on these things if they’re dirty.”
I nod and run my hands across the metallic gold box, tied with a velvet ribbon sitting in my lap.
The clock reads four-fifty-six as we pull up the drive.
“Give me a minute before we go in.”
Trey nods, pops a piece of gum in his mouth and starts chewing like a cow does its cud. How he managed to trap Liv is still a question, and not because I don’t remember, but it’s a genuine question. He’s about a million times out of her league.
The clock hits five and I open my door, making my way to the front door. Trey is behind me but rings the doorbell. Apparently, I forgot what to do when you go over to someone’s house.
A lady about the same age as Mom answers the door, and I can see the resemblance. She must be Presley’s mom.
“Well, don’t you boys clean up nice. Robert, it’s nice to see you. I didn’t know if I would ever have this opportunity again.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“Trey, Liv’s about ready.”
A door opens at the end of the hallway and a rather large cotton ball barrels down the hallway towards me, tongue out and tail wagging. I squat down and start rubbing the dog behind his ears.
“Trey, you better appreciate the amount of time Liv took getting ready for you.”
I look up at Presley, who is still standing in her doorway looking back at Liv. A pair of black cheer shorts and my practice jersey adorn her body, her dirty blond hair pulled loosely up on top of her head. Her glasses frame the most beautiful green eyes. She used to be mine, or maybe she still was mine, I didn’t know where we stood, but one thing was certain, I was definitely attracted to her if the twitch in my pants was any indication.
“Liv, let’s go.”
She huffed and looked absolutely adorable as she attempted to be in control. I’d seen her in control, and this little thing didn’t even come close to scaring a mouse, whereas a week ago, she could have caused a grown man to think twice before speaking back to her.
I stood there with the cotton ball by my side and scratched behind his ears. She finally began to make her way down the hall.
“Kringle leave…Robert?” Her voice drops along with her gaze as she stops a few feet shy of us. “Robert, what are you doing here?”
“Hi Presley.”
She shifts her stance as she crosses her arms over her chest, a somber expression written across her face.
“I figured out I asked you to prom, and you deserve to go. I’m sorry I don’t remember any of it, but I’d still like to take you if you’re alright with that.”
“Wow. Olivia.” Trey’s voice was unhurried and passionate, as though he’d seen the most beautiful thing on the planet, and to him, Liv probably looked like a goddess. Her solid navy gown with bateau neckline and open back, barely covered her side boob and puddled in a pool at her feet. It hugged her curves in all the right places. While her beach styled waves cascade down her back mimicking the small train attached to her dress.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off Presley. She was absolutely breathtaking the way she stood there, wearing my clothes.
“Shhh, Trey,” she says while swatting at his arm.
I realize for the first time that not only are Trey and Liv standing there, but Presley’s mother and grandparents are now watching us.
“Robert,” her voice is small and fragile, “I’m not going to prom.”
“Oh, yes you are!” God, they have a perfect friendship; Liv knows precisely when to push hard and right now her persuasiveness is working in my favor.”
“Liv, will you shut up.” And there’s the fire that sits dangerously close to her surface.
“Presley, please. Let me do this.”
“Are you sure you want to? I mean you asked me to sit with you at lunch and then sounded completely shocked at my willingness to join you.”
Fuck, she’s probably the kind of girl that won't let things go.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Presley, don’t be so closed off,” Liv whispers. “He’s trying. Give him a chance.”
Presley rolls her eyes at Liv. Eye rolling is one thing I won't let her get away with, but I notice her body soften after Liv’s scolding.