Maybe Matt's Miracle (28 page)

I grin. “How was it?”

“
Amazing,” he breathes. But then he realizes what he said, and he sobers. “I mean, it was okay.”

He’s such a bad liar. “You should ask her out,” I say.

He shakes his head. “I did. She told me no. She’s been telling me no for years.”

“
You know she’s not a lesbian, right?” I ask.

He raises one brow. “No thanks to you, yes.”

I chuckle. “Sorry about that.”

“
No you’re not.” But he’s grinning. “She’s got some issues,” he finally says. “I would love to know what they are.”

“
What kind of issues?” I ask.

“
I don’t know. The I-don’t-have-any-family
kind. The girl is completely alone. You know she doesn’t even go home in the summer?”

“
Well, she didn’t get picked out of a cabbage patch.” I stay quiet for a minute because it looks like he’s thinking. “What happened when you kissed her?”

“
Sparks,” he says. “Fucking sparks.” He blows out a breath.

“
What about Kelly?”

His gaze jerks up. “What about her?”

“
I’m guessing that Friday wouldn’t like kissing you when you’re still sleeping with Kelly. Was that the problem?” Getting information out of Paul is like pulling teeth.

“
I haven’t slept with Kelly since you and I talked about it that morning. Haven’t slept with anybody since I kissed Friday. I can’t get her off my fucking mind.”

“
So go for it.”

He shakes his head. “She said no way. Her exact words were
no fucking way, Paul, you stupid son of a bitch
. Then she told me to go fuck myself.”

That’s Friday for you. You have to love her.

Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. I jump to go answer, hoping deep in my heart that Sky has come to see me, to be sure everything is all right. To tell me she loves me and can’t wait another minute to see me. I open the door and my heart stalls, but for a completely different reason. It’s not Sky at my door. It’s April. She has her arms crossed, and she’s all wet. Her makeup streaks down her face, making her look like a semi-drowned raccoon. She’s still in her wedding dress and a puddle is forming on the floor beneath her.

“
Can I come in?” she asks.

I step back and let her walk by me, right into the house, and right back into my life.

Skylar

Dad is still up washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen when I get home. I toss my keys onto a table, and he turns to face me, rubbing his hands on a kitchen towel. “I didn’t think you’d be home until the morning,” he says.

I shrug my shoulders. “I missed my kids,” I say. I smile because it’s true. I really did miss them.

“
Never thought I’d hear you say that.” He lays the towel down on the counter and crosses his arms. “Did Matt find you?”

I nod. I don’t need to tell him more than that.

“
What was that all about?” he asks.

“
Just stuff,” I say. “It doesn’t matter.”

“
It does matter, Sky,” he protests.

I don’t like that he’s acting like this. I don’t like it at all. He has no right. “What gives you the right to ask me questions, Dad?” I say. The words hang there in the air between us, visible and palpable, almost living and breathing. “I did what you wanted. I took on your responsibility. That doesn’t mean that you get a free ticket into my life.”

“
I don’t want a free ticket,” he says. He turns away. “Never mind,” he mutters.

I let out the breath I was holding. “What do you want, Dad?” I ask.

“
I don’t want a free pass, Sky,” he says. “But I do want to earn a ticket. I’m trying. And I know I’ve done a brilliant job of walking away my whole life, but I don’t want to walk away right now.” He holds out his hands like he’s surrendering. “So, what happened with Matt?”

“
He came to see me,” I admit. “He came to my apartment. Why did you give him my address?”

He chuckles. “The boy was wrecked. I couldn’t sit here and let him suffer.”

“
Why would you care about Matt’s suffering?” I cross my arms and glare at him.

“
I walked away from your mother’s suffering for a long time. And yours. And now that I’m trying to be aware of all of it, you don’t get to give me a hard time about it.”

“
Yes, I do.” I sound like Mellie when she doesn’t get her way.

He chuckles. “You can. But it won’t get either of us anywhere.” He waits a beat. “You know he came to see me, right?” he asks.

I roll my eyes. “I’m not deaf, Dad. You just told me that.”

“
Not today, Sky. Yesterday. He came to see me.”

I go to the fridge and get a bottle of water. Chunky Monkey makes me thirsty, apparently. “Why would Matt come to see you?”

“
He wanted to ask for my permission to marry you.”

I drop my bottle, and it rolls across the floor. “He wanted what?”

“
You’re not deaf, Sky,” he says, repeating my earlier taunt.

“
Not funny, Dad.” But a grin steals across my face. “He really asked you that?”

He smiles, too. “Yeah, he did. I told him you guys should just shack up like young people do, but he told me he couldn’t do that as long as there are impressionable kids in the house. He said that Seth will learn how to treat women from the way he treats you and that Joey and Mellie will learn how to treat men from the way you treat him. And vice versa. So, he wants to marry you and make it all legitimate.”

My heart warms at the very idea of it. “He hasn’t asked me yet.” But I know what my answer would be. I feel for my ring finger with the pad of my thumb. I want to wear Matt’s ring. I want him to be my husband.

Dad takes in my grin. “He’s the one, huh?” he asks.

“
Yeah,” I say. “He’s the one.”

“
I had a feeling he would be. I met him when Kendra was sick. He seemed like a wonderful person. Good and kind. And persistent.” He narrows his eyes at me.

I laugh. “He’s definitely persistent. But you know what I love about him most, Dad?” I ask.

He quirks a brow instead of responding.

“
I love that he was willing to give up tonight and walk away for the good of the kids.”

“
I don’t get it.” He looks confused.

“
I ran to my apartment because I didn’t want to face him. He came there and told me he would give up if I would just go back to the kids, because they didn’t deserve for me to leave them. He quit our argument. He walked away. And that makes me love him even more than I did before.”

Dad walks over and gives me an awkward hug. He’s not nearly as good as Seth is, but he’s trying. He gets points for trying.

I look up at my dad. “Did you tell him yes, Dad?” I ask quietly.

He brushes my hair back from my face. “Yes, Sky. I did.”

I grin. “I’m glad.”

“
Me, too. Glad you met him. Glad he’s capable of loving you like you deserve.” He kisses my forehead. “Well,” he breathes. “Since I’m here, do you want to go see him? I was planning to stay the night.”

Go see Matt? I chew on my lower lip and think about it. “Would you mind?” I ask quietly.

He pulls me close and kisses my forehead. “I’d mind if you didn’t. Go get your happiness, kiddo. You deserve it.”

Before I go, I look in on Mellie and Joey, and Seth’s door is half open, so I look in on him, too. He stirs when I pull the ear buds from his ears.

“
Aunt Sky?” he says, sitting up on his elbows. “What’s wrong?”

“
Nothing,” I whisper. “I was just checking on you.”

“
My mom used to do that,” he murmurs as he rolls over. “Love you, Aunt Sky,” he says quietly. Then I hear a snore erupt from his throat.

I grin. I can’t help it.

Dad is waiting by the door on my way out. “Take your raincoat. It’s pouring.”

I take it from him and shrug into it. “Thanks for being here, Dad,” I say.

He nods and rocks back on his heels.

I let myself out so that I can go to Matt. I just hope he wants to see me as much as I want to see him.

Matt

Fuck my life.

I close the door behind April. I have no idea what to say to her. She looks like she got hit by a makeup truck. And left. On the side of the road. In the rain.

“
I’m sorry to bother you,” she says.

I see Paul get up and start toward the hallway to his room. “Don’t you even think about going anywhere,” I say to him. He freezes. He goes and gets a beer instead.

“
April,” he says with a nod. “You look like shit.”

“
Thanks,” she mutters. She sniffles.

He doesn’t linger. He goes back to the lazy chair. Fucker.

“
Why are you here?” I ask. She’s dripping all over the fucking floor.

She hugs her arms around herself and shivers. I look closely at her face. Her lips are a little blue, and her teeth are chattering.

“
Go get her a fucking towel, asswipe,” Paul calls. But he doesn’t get up to help me. I turn toward the linen closet, but suddenly there’s a knock on the door.

Shit. If that’s Kenny, I’m going to shove her out into the hall and straight into his arms. I steel myself and open the door.

My heart clenches when Sky raises her little hand at me, waves, and says, “Hi, Matt.”

I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life. “I am so glad you’re here,” I say. I hook my hand behind her neck and draw her to me because I have to kiss her. I just can’t wait another second.

She mumbles against my lips. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow,” she says.

I lift my head and look down at her. “I’m so glad you couldn’t wait,” I tell her.

Paul chuckles from the couch and slaps his knee. He’s enjoying this too fucking much. Sky looks over my shoulder and freezes. “What is she doing here?” she asks. Her eyes search mine like she’s going to find the answer in my gaze. But she’s not going to find anything there because apparently I have shit for brains.

“
I don’t have a fucking clue,” I whisper vehemently.

She stares at April for a minute, and then her face softens. “You have to help her,” she says.

“
Help her with what?” I ask fiercely.

“
Get her a fucking towel,” Paul calls again. “Duh.”

I ground my teeth together. I don’t want to get her a towel. I want her to leave. And to take all her waterworks with her.

Sky lets me go and walks to her. She takes her elbow and guides her toward the bathroom. “Come on,” she says gently. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

April lets Sky push her into the bathroom, her sopping-wet dress dragging along the floor like a wet seal is sliding across our carpet.

Sky shoves her into the room and turns around to glare at me. But then she shakes her head, sighs heavily, and then goes into the bathroom.

“
That’s fucked up,” Paul says over a maniacal laugh.

“
You’re fucked up,” I say. “You could have helped.”

“
What did you want me to do? She’s your girlfriend.”

“
Ex-girlfriend,” I correct.

“
Well, your ex-girlfriend is in the bathroom with your current girlfriend.” He laughs again. “Go get me another beer when you go clean that water up.” He
thunks
his feet onto the end table. “And get your balls out of April’s pocket when you go in that direction.”

“
My balls are not in April’s pocket.” They’re in Sky’s pocket. Happily.

“
Mmm hmm,” he hums.

I take him a new beer and start to clean up the water.

Sky opens the bathroom door a crack and sticks her head out. “Can I get some towels? And something for her to wear?”

“
What are you doing in there?” I hiss.

She looks back in the door. “She’s a mess,” Sky whispers. She steps out and closes the door behind her. “She was freezing, so I put her in the tub.”

“
Emily left some girl shampoo here. It’s under the sink.”

“
Can you find some clothes? Just some shorts or something will work.”

Sky disappears back into the bathroom. I get a pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt that I don’t like. Hell, I think it’s one April bought. I knock gently on the door. Sky comes back out. “How’s it going in there?” I ask.

“
It’s going,” she murmurs, rolling her eyes. “She’s had a hard day.”

Good. She should. She made her bed, and now she gets to lie in it. “Sorry to hear that,” I say instead.

She rolls her eyes and disappears back into the bathroom with the towels and clothes.

I pace for twenty minutes, until Paul barks at me. “You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet.”

“
Who gives a shit?”

“
What do you think they’re talking about?” Paul asks, grinning like an idiot.

“
No idea.”

“
I bet they’re discussing the length of your dick,” he taunts.

“
Shut up.”

“
Or all the ways you never learned to use your tongue.”

“
Fuck you.” I have a lot of skill with my tongue.

“
The way you shave your balls.”

“
Asshole.” But a grin tugs at my lips.

He laughs out loud and shoves my shoulder. “Quit worrying.”

I look down at my thumbnail, which I have gnawed down to a nub.

The bathroom door opens, and I jump to my feet. Sky walks out first with April behind her. April looks a lot better. Her face is free of makeup, and her hair is damp but combed into a tidy mass. She’s wearing an old pair of my shorts and that shirt I hate. She crosses her arms in front of her chest. What happened to that monstrosity of a dress?