I wished—
It hit me like lightning. I stifled a gasp to tell Lee, “Stay here. I’ll be back in a sec,” before running off to find Harvey, who was exchanging a kid’s tokens for a baseball mitt.
Barely a minute later, I was back with Lee, who hadn’t budged from his despairing stance at Dance Dance Mania. He eyed me curiously as I grabbed his wallet off the floor and riffled through receipts and dollar bills and—
I held up a condom. “Seriously? You’re so classy.”
“Put that away!” he hissed. “There are kids around!”
I shoved it back into his wallet, only for him to murmur, “It never hurts to be prepared, Shelly. I bet Noah keeps one in his wallet.”
“I will neither confirm nor deny this.”
I could totally, absolutely confirm this.
I pulled out the sheet of paper I was looking for. We’d been carrying the bucket list about all summer, folding and refolding it a hundred and one times. It hadn’t been in the most pristine condition when we’d found it; by the end of this summer, I got the feeling it’d be falling apart.
“What’re you doing?” he asked, straightening up. I took a seat under the handlebar. Lee sat with me, hitting his head and muttering, “Ouch.”
Lee and Elle’s Epic Summer Bucket List
27. Take a hot air balloon ride—NO PARENTS ALLOWED!
28. Turn Noah into a human ice-cream sundae
29. Go to Berkeley together for college!
30. One last dance on our DDM machine at the arcade
“New item,” I told him. “One final dance on this old gal—July fifth.”
“Hmm,” he murmured approvingly. And then, “You sure you got the time for it?”
I glanced at number twenty-three, the mini-golf night I’d missed yesterday. Lee had crossed it through lightly in pencil. Half done. Kind of done. Not done enough.
“Absolutely,” I told him, reaching up to chuck a finger under his chin. “Now get that mopey look off your face, okay? I know I’ve been crazy busy the last couple of weeks—working, looking after Brad, spending time with Noah as well as doing all the bucket-list stuff, but this is important to me, too, Lee. And I promise you, I’ll be here for one last dance, no matter what. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Lee gave me a soft smile, his head tipping onto my shoulder. “You’re such a mushy loser sometimes, Elle, but I love you.”
“I love you, too, buddy.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
It was dark out by the time Lee and I got back to the beach house. We had the next couple of days all planned out. Race day may have been the biggest thing on the list (and the biggest coup to pull off), but it was by no means the end of it. We’d managed to plan our weekend at Berkeley, too.
Indoors, the lights were on in the rumpus room and laughter filtered out from that direction.
“Who’s that?” Amanda sang down the hallway.
“Tweedledum and Tweedledumber,” Rachel replied, followed by a giddy laugh.
“I resent that!” Lee and I called back in unison, which only made her laugh more.
In the rumpus room we found them watching their way through a bunch of old home movies. A mostly empty box of chocolates sat between them and—
“Where did you guys even get wine from?” I asked. Jealousy tinged my voice to see them hanging out, having a girly night in together. I knew I’d have been welcome if I’d been around, but even so.
“I went to see my parents,” Amanda said. “Picked up some more clothes and stole some wine from them. They’re not gonna miss it. Just like they’re not gonna miss their only daughter when they’re too busy fighting. Ha-ha!”
I exchanged a glance with Lee, not really sure how to react.
Amanda topped their glasses off. “To self-involved parents and their stashes of wine!”
Rachel laughed again, swatting at Amanda’s knee like she’d said something truly hilarious. “Where’ve you guys been?” she asked us.
“Was it a bucket-list thing?” Amanda wanted to know.
Lee and I exchanged a look and nodded. I didn’t think either of us was about to explain how our old favorite arcade game was being retired soon, and what a big deal that was. Although in fairness, they’d probably take us more seriously while they were tipsy than any other time.
“We saved you guys some dinner,” Amanda told us. “Mac and cheese.”
“We grabbed some burgers on the way home,” Lee said. He glanced at me. “But I’m gonna heat up some mac and cheese. You want some?”
I smiled. “Nah, I’m good. So, uh, did Noah join you guys for dinner?”
Both the girls shook their heads. Amanda said, “Haven’t seen him. I tried calling him, but he sent me to voice mail, like a tool.”
Rachel scoffed. “Toad the tool.”
They both dissolved into giggles again.
“Aww, but he doesn’t look like a tool here.” Amanda gestured at the home movie. It was Fourth of July, judging by the fireworks and the flags. On the screen, Noah was holding a toddler Brad on his shoulders. She wriggled around to peer over the back of the sofa at me. “Was it about Levi?”
I caught my breath and let out a sharp laugh. “Oh my God, seriously?”
“It was probably about Levi,” Rachel agreed seriously, sipping her wine.
“You too? This is crazy. Noah’s got no reason to be jealous of Levi.”
They both pulled a face and then tried to go back to not pulling a face, but it was too late by then. Rachel was helpful enough to point out, “But you did kiss him.”
“He did kind of have a look,” Amanda added with a sympathetic expression.
“What look? What are you talking about?”
“You know, that…” Amanda’s head wobbled and her eyes drifting side to side as she looked up at the ceiling, her lips pursed lightly and her eyelashes fluttering. There was something dreamy and wistful about it.
I snorted. “Okay, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that is not a look I’ve ever seen on Levi’s face.”
“Looks pretty accurate to me,” Rachel mumbled into her wine.
“Okay!” I grinned at them both, knowing my eyes told a different story—one that said, Screw you both, I don’t have time for this. “Well, you guys are drunk and clearly don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’ve got a missing boyfriend to track down and talk some sense into.”