The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys 1)

“I think I have to be ready to go when the house is sold.”

“Damn, Vi…”

“It’s better that way,” I said in a small voice. “Then I can get a job and get settled in before school starts in the fall.”

In Texas. So far away from her. And Miller. I have to leave Miller.

I hadn’t let myself have the thought, but now it was there, bashing around inside my heart. I sank down on the bed, my hand covering my mouth.

“Oh, honey…” Shiloh sat beside me and put her arm around me. “Don’t cry, you’ll ruin your makeup. You haven’t told Miller, have you?”

“Not yet. I can barely face it myself. What am I going to do, Shi?”

“I don’t know, hon. But are you sure you’re up to this Prom with River? Can’t you call in sick and come over to my place? Bibi will bake you something good to celebrate your birthday, and we can eat and binge-watch Ozark.”

Nothing sounded better, but I shook my head. “I promised River.”

Shiloh frowned. “What gives with you two? Is he blackmailing you?”

“No,” I laughed. I stood up quickly and smoothed down the front of my dress. Shiloh had piled half my hair on my head, pinning it in a messy bun and letting the rest flow over my shoulders.

“You look beautiful,” she said, standing with me. “Miserable but beautiful.”

“I’m going with the wrong boy.”

“Have you heard from your boy?”

“No. His meeting is today. All day.”

“On a Saturday?”

“They worried he would be missing school. He’ll be back tomorrow.” I turned to her. “And what about you? I wish you were going.”

“Not my scene,” she said.

“And what is your scene? Ronan Wentz?”

Shiloh looked away. “It’s complicated. I know that’s a cheesy Facebook cliché, but it’s exactly that.”

I smiled softly. “You care about him?”

“No,” she said, fuming. She flopped back on my bed on her back. “Half the time, he drives me fucking crazy, and I want to strangle him. The other times…”

I lay down beside her. “Other times you want to kiss him?”

She scoffed. “You’re going to mess up your hair.” I made a face at her, and she laughed, then took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Happy birthday, Violet. I know everything is all fucked up right now, but if you’re hellbent on going to this Prom, maybe try to have some fun tonight. Forget everything for a little bit.”

“I’ll try.”

Shiloh stuck around while my parents pretended to be a normal, functioning family. They took a million pictures of Shiloh and me, and when River arrived, they took a million more. Dad made forced jokes about not keeping me out too late and Mom looked like she was holding back tears.

“Can we get a photo of the three of us?” Dad said, handing his phone to River. “It’s a special occasion.”

She relented, and I stood between them, all of us with smiles plastered on our faces. The last photo that would ever be taken of the three of us in our house again.

River took me back to his place for another round of pictures. The contrast between his parents and mine was stark. Nancy and Jerry Whitmore fawned over us with easy smiles and real laughter. But there was a different tension in the Whitmore house. Jerry shook River’s hand and pounded him on the back, as if they’d sealed a business deal.

Nancy gave me a kiss on the cheek. “He tells me you’ve been a very sweet friend to him.”