Page 23

Everybody Needs Someone – Noah Cyrus, Vance Joy

Declan

“D ecy,” a squeaky voice whispers. “Decy.”

Nora speaks a bit louder, doing her best to wake me while keeping a low voice. She knows no volume but max, so her whisper is the baseline speaking volume for others. She tugs at my arm, and I roll over to face her.

The blood has returned to her cheeks, and her smile is large as she shoves her face inches away from mine. It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to pull away from her breath. She didn’t brush her teeth last night, and this morning I’m facing the consequences.

Her dark curls stick out at every angle, and one side is flat against her head.

A wave of relief washes over me at her energy.

“Can we make pancakes?” she asks, bouncing on her toes. I rub the sleep from my eyes, and Addie rustles beside me. Nora climbs onto the bed and sits on my chest. The air whooshes from my lungs.“With chocolate chips and whipped cream?”

“Are you feeling better?” I ask, but her questions about pancakes and bright demeanor make it clear it was only a twenty-four-hour bug.

She nods rapidly and wiggles into the space between Addie and me. Addie rolls over and captures Nora between her arms, trapping her in a tight embrace. Boisterous giggles fill the air, and my heart beats a mile a minute as arms flail and one hits me right in the gut.

Oof.

I groan and roll out of bed while they share a moment.

Addie rises on her elbows and her eyes sear into my skin as I dig through my bag for a toothbrush and change of clothes.

“Decy snores really loud,” Nora says, and Addie cackles. I turn around to give them an unimpressed look, but they continue to giggle and mimic the sound.

“It’s like a lawnmower and a broken ice machine had a baby,” Addie admits, leg stretching out to poke my back.

I snatch her leg and drag her toward me, her protests fall on deaf ears as Nora cheers me on.

“Get her!” Nora yells, launching at her mom, tickling her sides.

Addie’s face darkens to a deep red, heaving air into her lungs as she flails. “I surrender,” she yells, covering her face and curling into a ball.

Nora doesn’t give up, but I scoop her up and toss her over my shoulder. Her laughter strikes my solar plexus. “C’mon, princess,” I say, walking her out of the room, “We need to brush our teeth.” Addie pushes onto the bed, and I wink at her as we move out the door. “Mommy will meet us in the kitchen for pancakes.”

“Pancakes!” Nora cheers, legs bouncing against my chest as we cross the hall into the bathroom.

I drop her on the pink step stool in front of the sink and she pushes the hair out of her face. I pick up her Encanto toothbrush and put a small dollop of strawberry toothpaste on the bristles.

“Two minutes,” I say, and she frowns.

“One,” she counters, brows pinched.

“This is not a negotiation.” I cross my arms, and she mimics the movement. Stubborn kid. “How about I sing for two minutes while you brush?” I offer.

She contemplates, and then nods, putting the toothbrush in her mouth, then muttering, “Pink Pony Please.”

“Huh?”

Addie’s voice carries from the bedroom. “Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan.” She appears in the doorframe, auburn hair sticking out at angles and a bit of drool crusted on the corner of her mouth.

God, she’s fucking beautiful.

“I can get my phone to play it.” She spins away, but stalls when I start the first verse. “You know the song?”

“It was the song of the summer, Addie.” I leave out the duh . “The girls were obsessed.”

I don’t add that one night we all got super drunk and made a music video. In a sober state, we determined it should never see the light of day, and all swore a sacred oath to never speak of it again.

Nora brushes her teeth while I sing the song. I’m incredibly off-key and stumble over a few words, but she dances along while I sing, happy and content to brush her teeth.

Affection digs its roots deep into my soul, and the more time I spend with Nora and Addie, the stronger the roots grow.

I finish the song, and Nora jumps off the stool, and runs into the kitchen where Addie is pulling out all the ingredients for pancakes and smoothies.

As if it’s second nature, I lean down and take Addie’s lips, my palm trailing along the curve of her spine. She melts into the kiss, and the world fades away. That is, until a loud shriek fills the air.

We turn, startled, at Nora, whose jaw is on the floor and her eyes are wide. “You kissed!” she screams, like it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her. “Like princes and princesses.”

“We did,” I confirm, amusement lacing the words.

Addie is a statue beside me, her muscles taut. I squeeze her side, and she shakes her head. “Sorry,” she whispers, “this is still very new for us.”

I know what she means. I’ve never felt as intensely about anyone before in my life. I know I zinged with Addie—can feel the electricity in my chest every time I lay eyes on her—but it feels like I zinged with Nora differently.

She brings the hope and optimism that’s been missing in my life. Her energy is a bright light, shining like a beacon in the darkness. I can’t explain it, but she gives me a sense of purpose—like making sure she’s happy and healthy is a priority.

Knowing she felt terrible and not being able to take away any of her pain or discomfort was like a white hot knife to the abdomen. If I could have, I would have taken it all for her.

Nora runs over and hugs our legs. “I love you, Decy!”

Her confession is such a surprise, my legs wobble. My heart shudders and tears spring to my eyes like a dam broken after years of holding back water.

Addie trails a hand along my shoulder in a comforting touch.

“I-I love you too, Nora.”

And I mean every word.

Is it too fast to love her? Or love Addie?

Am I crazy to have fallen for them both so quickly?

I risk it and glance at Addie, and her hazel eyes are full of understanding and adoration. Her smile is a slight, soft thing. Her eyes flicker down to her daughter, and she smoothes out the wild curls.

“Should we make smiley face pancakes?” she asks.

Nora nods, and the two of them slip on matching aprons covered in tropical fruit. I snap a photo of the two of them holding wooden spoons, and take a video of Nora mixing the batter.

It’s one of the best mornings I’ve ever had, and I savor every moment.

We eat piles of pancakes and slurp down delicious smoothies—mango and coconut is not a combination I thought I would like, but the first sip was heaven.

When I have to leave to get ready for practice, Nora forces me to promise we’ll have another sleepover before I can leave.

I kiss Addie once more before I walk out the door, and as I slip into the driver's seat, my stomach churns.

I make it three steps into my house before I run to the bathroom and expel the pancakes into the toilet bowl.

Nora gave me the stomach flu.