Between the Lines

***

“So… I think he took that well,” Dad says after the phone call to Dan to tell him I would be taking a hiatus from blockbuster roles so I could go to college. Dad rubs the back of his neck with one hand while he stares at the phone in the other.

“You aren’t a very good liar, Dad.”

“Well, he’s received the news. I guess how he likes it is his problem.”

“Hmph,” Chloe says from the kitchen table, where she’s grading exams. She’s still disgruntled that I’m giving up my film career, possibly for good. Her dreams of being the mother of a huge star, jet-setting all over the world, rubbing elbows with celebrities, have been dashed. She didn’t speak to either of us for days, but she’s almost resigned herself to the idea now. I think.

Dad winks at me, leaning over her shoulder and telling her, “I thought you and I could use a weekend getaway. Visit a winery or two… stay at a B-and-B?”

“Really?” She brightens, and then her expression falls. “But what about—” she gestures towards me as I pour a glass of orange juice.

“Emma’s an adult now, Chloe. She can handle a weekend at home alone.” When he mentioned the idea last week, I assured him I was more than fine with it.

“Sure,” I say. “You kids go, have fun.”

I scroll through my texts as I walk to my room. There’s a thread with Graham from last night that I want to reread.

Graham: Hey, birthday girl

Me: You remembered

Graham: Of course. Doing anything special to celebrate being 18?

Me: Like what, voting?

Graham: HA

Me: Just going to dinner with dad and chloe

Graham: How is that going btw

Me: Really well, actually

Graham: Good. I just registered for my last semester. Heading upstate with my sisters for some r&r this weekend.

Me: Jealous. I always wanted sisters.

Graham: Trust me, it was the opposite of awesome for the first 15 years, until i was cool enough for them to know me in public.

Me: Lol. Enjoy your weekend.

Graham: Thx, you too

I move the text into permanent storage on my phone. I haven’t seen anyone from School Pride in the weeks since we wrapped the film. The new version of my old life has reabsorbed me. These few lines and a few weeks of memories—countless conversations and one unforgettable kiss—are all I have left of Graham.

***

The day I met Derek, he and Emily had both just gotten off work. Each was dressed to sell an image to their respective customers—most of whom wouldn’t be caught dead in each other’s social circles. From the violet stripes in her dark hair and her black-tipped fingernails to her biker boots with buckles running ankle to mid-calf, she couldn’t have appeared more incompatible with him—tan and lanky with short blond hair, dressed in a button-down shirt, untucked, skinny chinos and Sperrys. As I watched them from my bedroom, I couldn’t help the thought that they were doomed. And then, taking her hand, he pulled her to a stop and smiled down at her like she was everything in the world that made him happy. As he framed her face with careful hands and kissed her, she melted into him.

Emily confessed that they’re applying to the same colleges, mostly her choice. Derek’s aspirations include earning an English degree while writing a novel—and he says any decent academic environment will do. I’ve never seen her like this. My best friend, independent and uncompromising our entire lives, has fallen in love. Hard.

I’m still stuck on living in New York, though I no longer feel the need to escape my home state. Once the prospect of moving there lodged itself in my mind, everything else seemed inferior by comparison. Dad and Emily have resigned themselves to losing me to the east coast, at least for a while.

I did some community theatre over the holidays—a starring role in a low-budget production of It’s a Wonderful Life. Dad didn’t miss a single show. The thought of leaving him next fall stings, though I’ve been coming and going for years. But it’s good. The sting tells me I’ll miss him and the way he looks at me now—like he hasn’t seen me in years, like he can’t get enough now that I’m here.

Chapter 44

REID

It’s March, five months since we wrapped up School Pride. I’ve hung out with Tadd several times since then and Quinton twice. I haven’t seen or heard from anyone else. Now, the main cast is in Austin for a couple of days to do a photo spread for Vanity Fair. My flight arrived late, and no one’s up and about when I check into the hotel. Disoriented to be back in Austin, I fall asleep thinking of Emma. My dreams are vivid and unsettling, receding to the edges of my consciousness when I wake, yielding no clear details and leaving me anything but rested. Coffee and breakfast from room service delays the prospect of seeing any of them until the concierge calls to let me know the limo has arrived.

When I exit my room and turn the corner, she’s standing in front of the elevator. “Emma,” I say softly, not wanting to startle her. Her shoulders tense slightly, but she turns with a pleasant, if artificial, expression.

“Hi, Reid.”

“You’re looking good,” I say, and she does.

“Thanks. You, too.”

The elevator doors part and we enter and stand a foot apart, staring at the descending numbers. Memories swirl around us, sharp and silent—how I would back her against a wall as soon as the elevator doors shut behind us, pinning her against the cold stainless steel panel while my hands skimmed her waist and my mouth moved over hers until neither of us could think straight. I wonder if she’s forgotten.