They sipped their drinks quietly and April looked up to find her mom watching her. “Thank you for getting me out of the house. I needed that.”
“I know.” Kathy smiled and it was an echo of April’s own, their lips curving the same way, like a slightly distorted mirror image. “I have a little surprise for you.”
She arched a brow. “Oh?”
As if on cue, a loud knock came at the front door and Kathy grinned. “You should get that.”
Oh God, what had her mother been up to now? April stood cautiously, carefully placing her mug down on the tabletop before approaching the front door.
Surely she wouldn’t have called Tyler. Not after April had told them what he’d done. And seeing Noah was hardly a surprise. So who …?
Another knock came at the door, impatient and vaguely familiar. The smile tugged at her lips before the thought had fully formed and April pulled open the door to find two faces she’d missed a ridiculous amount.
“About time. Let us in—it’s freezing out here.”
April laughed, stepping back from the door and squeezing Emma and Izzy with an arm around each of them. “Well, maybe if you had some clothes on, you wouldn’t be so cold.”
Emma gasped in mock outrage. “As if I’d let a small thing like the weather get in the way of a killer outfit.” Izzy rolled her eyes at their friend but April just grinned. Itwasa great outfit, but the sundress was more suited to, well, the sun. “Loving the hair, babe.”
April pulled them inside and led them into the living room. “I thought you guys wouldn’t be back till tomorrow?”
“We wanted to surprise you,” Izzy said, her smile softer than Emma’s.
Emma nudged April with her hip and when she grinned the gap between her two front teeth made April’s heart squeeze. God, she’d missed them. Talking on the phone and texting just wasn’t the same. “Plus, we brought goodies.”
They each held up a bag and April peeked inside,rolling her eyes at what was in them. “Ice cream, condoms, and10 Things I Hate About You?”
“The condoms are all Emma.” Izzy sat down on the sofa while Em sprawled out on the floor, the bags abandoned in April’s hands. “But the rest is perfect break-up fodder. Your mom told us what happened with Tyler.”
April smiled. “Thank you.” She paused on her way out of the room, leveling Emma with a dry look. “Not for the condoms, though. I don’t think I’ll be needing those any time soon.”
Emma’s laugh followed April back to the kitchen. “Better safe than sorry,” she called and Kathy lifted a brow from her place at the kitchen table, smirking when April waved her off and grabbed three spoons for the ice cream.
April hesitated on the threshold of the kitchen. “You coming, Mom?”
Startled, Kathy looked up and then smiled brightly. “Sure. Why not.”
By the time they made it back into the living room, Izzy had set up the movie, and Emma had pried open the lid on one tub of ice cream and stuck her fingers in it to fish out a round chunk of chocolate.
“You can have that one,” April said, rolling her eyes, and Emma grinned, her smile as cheerful as the abundance of freckles on her face.
Emma accepted the spoon April held out and wasted no time sinking the utensil into the chocolateygoodness. “Don’t worry, I never intended to share. We got you the dairy-free one you like, though.” Emma nodded to the remaining pints of ice cream dripping condensation on the coffee table and April bit her lip. It was good to be known, cared for—it had bugged her no end that Tyler never seemed to remember that she couldn’t eat dairy. It wasn’t the only food she struggled with, but she’d long since learned not to complain and to just go along with whatever restaurant Tyler picked out. Even asking for dairy alternatives or for information from the server about allergens had set him off.
It’s all in your head, babe,he’d say.You know that.
Remembering his condescending tone sent a spark of frustration streaking through her chest. She’d always hated how she felt like she was never able to properly defend herself against Tyler, especially when she knew she could if he had let her get more than a sentence out. She hadn’t been captain of Debate for nothing.
“You OK?” Izzy sat down beside her and April jolted, accepting the tub her friend passed her. “You seemed like you were a million miles away.”
“Just grateful for you guys,” she murmured as the movie began to play. “I can’t believe you brought over an actual DVD. I didn’t think they existed anymore.”
Her mom gasped. “I won’t have that blasphemy in my house.” It was true that Kathy Jones loved “retro” tech. April was pretty sure she’d even seen a VHS player upstairs in her dad’s old workroom, thoughwhat they’d played on it was anyone’s guess. Old home movies, maybe.
The three of them squished up onto the sofa while Emma stayed down on the floor, making snarky comments every five seconds about the romcom logic in the early-aughts movie.
Izzy sighed. “Ugh, Heath Ledger. I would.”
Emma wrinkled her nose. “That’ssodisrespectful, Iz. He’s, like, dead.”