Page 89 of The Publicity Stunt

Logan gasps. “Shut the fuck up.”

I frown at him. He doesn’t even know what SDCC is.

“Okay, let’s see … four tickets. Three-day pass—”

“It’s a three-day thing?” Shara calls from the kitchen.

“I know,” April replies. “It’s not enough time. There are so many panels.” She fidgets with the ends of her hair and I walk over to sit on the armrest next to her. Maybe I was playing it cool before because I didn’t think we’d actually get in the queue. But I’m kinda excited now. Maybe April’s excitement is just that contagious.

“Oh. My. God.” April’s hands go still. “We got the …” She looks up at me, pausing for a brief second. “We got the tickets!”

“We did?”

Squealing, she jumps from her seat and right into my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist and I turn us around. “Wegotthetickets!”

I can’t stop smiling either. But the reason behind mine might be a little different.

“Aww.” Logan throws his head back. “You guys are such sad little nerds.”

“We are,” April says, grinning from ear to ear. “And we’re going to SDCC!” She lets go of me and runs to our room. “I’m sorry! I need to go stare at my costume for five minutes!”

My eyes follow her till she’s out of sight and then I plonk down on the couch, across from Logan and his magic laptop.

“Congrats, bro,” he mocks and I flip him off. “So”—he leans forward—“you gonna ask her tonight?”

I swallow back a smile. “I’m thinking … now?”

Logan nods, slow and deliberate. “She seems happy enough to say yes.”

Shara walks back with a glass of wine and sits herself down next to Logan. “I can’t believe you’re actually going through with it.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s weird,” Shara says. “Getting married at twenty-two is like leaving a party at nine p.m.”

This isn’t something new. I don’t expect her to understand. And it’s not just her. I don’t expect anyone to understand. People don’t get married at twenty-two. They just don’t. It’s not normal to tie yourself down to a single person at that young age.

But most people don’t find their soulmate at fifteen. Knowing I want to get married to April doesn’t mean the end of the world. And it’s not like I’m asking her to marry me today. I’m just asking her to marry me one day. It doesn’t matter if it’s now or fifty years from now. If I had to choose between April and a million other things I’ve always wanted, I’d pick her every single time. She’s the only one for me. I just want her to know that.

“I might be leaving the party at nine p.m.,” I stand up and start making my way to our room, “but at least I’ll be leaving with the prettiest girl there.”

Shara rolls her eyes and Logan gives me an overenthusiastic thumbs-up.

* * *

Okay, maybe this was a bad idea.

I’ve been standing at the doorway for the past five minutes while April has been staring daggers into her costume that’s spread out on the bed.

I don’t know what’s going on, but she doesn’t look happy.

“Chere?”

“This isn’t going to work,” she says with her hands on her hips. “Vanessa Carlysle just wears normal clothes. My Halloween costume was more interesting.” Her shoulders slump and she finally turns to face me. “I don’t think Deadpool is a good look on you either.”

I can’t stop smiling.

“Maybe we should just reuse our old costumes,” she says.