Some Kind of Perfect (Calloway Sisters 5)

Ryke: She probably will make other friends, but you’re not losing anything when that fucking happens. You still have a friend.

He was right.

She’ll still always be my friend. No matter what happens in London or what happens in Philadelphia. We both want to keep our friendship alive, and so we have. I even brought her to Lucky’s because she missed the atmosphere. When I rotated the computer to get a panoramic view of the packed diner, I basically invited other people to look at me.

I didn’t have fear in my bones. I wasn’t frightened. I actually even smiled. I like that I can be alone in Lucky’s Diner without any of the guys or my sisters. Every day, I’m feeling better than the past.

Though, I was more amused than Price on the matter. My incredibly assertive and punctual bodyguard is all about keeping a low profile and not creating intense situations. He occupies a four-person table about five feet from my corner booth.

And no one has approached me because of him.

Lily came up with a theory that he has extreme powers of mental persuasion like Professor Xavier.

I check my email and open up a link to Tumblr. “Got it.”

“Look at the fourth question and tell me if you think Garrison sounds off.” Willow pushes up her black-framed glasses that slip down her nose.

The Tumblr user ryumastersxx filled out a questionnaire. Willow said that Garrison never answers them on his own accord. Usually she’ll tag him first, but this time was different. It’s also the beginning of their long-distance relationship, and no one, not even Willow and Garrison, are completely positive how long they’ll last.

Name: Garrison

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

I pick up my hamburger. “I found something.”

“What?” She splays her hands flat like she’s preparing for the news to drop.

“Your zodiacs are very romantically compatible.” I wag my brows. Pisces and Scorpio. “It’s even stronger than a Pisces and Virgo.” Which is what I am to Ryke.

Willow smiles. “You’re supposed to be finding bad signs.”

“And leave all the good ones behind?” I give her a look and take a large messy bite of my burger. With a mouthful of bun, lettuce, and meat, I try to say, “Never” but I end up laughing as soon as she starts.

A camera phone flashes at me, but I don’t pay attention to the source. Hey, at least they wanted a picture of me smiling and not one of me sullen and near tears.

Willow and I collect ourselves in the next minute, and I wash my burger down with some sips of Fizz Life. She points at her computer screen, but it looks like she’s pointing right at me. “This part is so bad.”

“Lemme see.” I focus back on the questionnaire and sip my soda.

Average Hours of Sleep: idk used to be about 7-8? It’s less, so whatever.

Last Google Search: what time is it in London?

Relationship Status:

I choke on my soda. He really just put a fractured heart there.

“Daisy, it’s bad, right? You look freaked out.”

“No, no.” I control my features. “Guys are weird. They do weird things. This could just be out of angst. He misses you so much, and he’s expressing that through a…” broken heart. “…I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m not that far through, so don’t stress…”

I set down my hamburger, treating this more seriously. I scroll through more of his questionnaire.

Siblings: three older brothers. Be happy they’re not yours.

Love or Lust: lust doesn’t hurt.

Met a Celebrity: I think I might be becoming one…

That’s true.

The day that Willow became legally Willow Hale, the world found out she wasn’t Lo’s cousin but rather his sister. Celebrity news took much more interest in her life. Not to the extent of my sisters, but enough that they now pay attention to Willow’s boyfriend.

Celebrity Crush wrote a short article titled: What We Know About Garrison Abbey! They don’t know a lot, which made Willow happy.

“What’s the consensus?” Willow asks.

“I think he really misses you, and I don’t think it means that he’s ready to get over you or forget you.”

She nods a couple times. “I just want him to be happy…but I want him too.”

“I know,” I say softly.

“We had sex,” she suddenly blurts out, her cheeks ashen.

“Willow Hale,” I say with a gasp, smiling wide. I high-five my computer screen.

She timidly high-fives her computer screen in reply.

“Am I the first you told?”

“I meant to tell Lily, but I keep chickening out. It’s just…” She sighs. “I think it turned into a goodbye because…we did it the day before I left Philadelphia. I think that’s why he’s so upset.”

I lower my voice. “Easy fix, right? Just have sex with him again. Then it won’t seem like the last time you both ever do it.”

“I’m even more scared. How is that possible?” She smashes her face into a pillow and mumbles, “I’m so awkward.”

I love Willow so much. “You’re totally human, and you get to hold onto the amazing fact that you never slept with someone that makes your skin crawl.” In hindsight, disgust slithers down my spine when I remember kissing Julian.

“At least now you’re stronger for it,” Willow reminds me. “You learned what you like.”

I definitely did.

I like guys who emotionally care about me.

I like my wolf.

The diner suddenly falls hushed, which can only mean one thing.

I look up just as Ryke Meadows and Loren Hale make their way through Lucky’s Diner, aimed for my corner booth.

To Willow, I say. “We have company in the form of Mr. Broody-Pants and Mr. I-Will-Butcher-All-Living-Things-With-My-Eyes. Want to see?”

Willow

nods, and I spin my laptop, the screen facing the diner’s entrance. Ryke and Lo both wear track pants and T-shirts, sweat stains outlining their muscles. They probably just finished running not too long ago.

I narrate, “And as the moose slowly amble through the prairie, all the antelopes perk up and admire their delectable horns and stout bodies. Oohhh aahhh, the antelopes whisper.”

Willow is cracking up laughing, her voice only traveling through my earbuds, but as her brothers approach, they see her on the screen. Lo is the first to greet his sister.

“Look at that moose try to wave,” I continue. “He lifts his hoof and gives a hearty hello to a strange technological device.”

Flatly, Lo says, “You’re goddamn weird.” Then he slides into the booth on my left.

I gasp. “The moose can speak!” I swivel the computer towards Ryke and lift it up so it’s more in line with his face. “And here stands Mr. Broody Pants. What a specimen.”

Ryke playfully pushes my forehead.

My face bursts into a powerful smile.

Ryke almost smiles too, and he raises his brows at me like what are you getting on about, Calloway?

You.

I’m getting on about you.

Ryke retrains his attention onto his half-sister. “Hey, Willow,” he greets before sliding in on my right side. I flip the laptop to its original position. Facing me. Not the diner.

Ryke and Lo squeeze closer to me, both entering the Skype window and able to see Willow clearly. Before they snatch my earbuds and fight over them, I unplug my headphones and increase the volume.

Lo taps into big-brother mode pretty fast. “What’s new? How’s school? Are the people shit?” He actually asks five more questions, but they all have the same heartbeat.

Are you okay, Willow?

“I’m still getting used to everything, but it’s not bad.” Willow shrugs and hangs her head, chewing her lip. I think she’s contemplating whether or not to bring up Garrison.

“Did you guys hear that she found a comic book store there?” I lift my hamburger up to Ryke, and he kisses me before biting into it. He licks his thumb and mouths, fucking mustard?