Page 53 of Turtles All the Way Down

"Yeah, I promise."

"And we break hearts, but we don't break promises," she said.

"You say that's your 'motto,' but you spend ninety-nine percent of your time with Mychal now."

"Except right now I'm hanging out with you and Jar Jar Binks," she said.

We went back to watching the movie. As it ended, she squeezed my arm and said, "I love you," then raced off to Mychal's place.

SEVENTEEN

LATER THAT NIGHT, I got a text from Davis.

Him: You around?

Me: I am. You want to facetime?

Him: Could I possibly see you irl?

Me: I guess, but I'm less fun irl.

Him: I like you irl. Is now good?

Me: Now's good.

Him: Dress warm. It's cold out, and the sky is clear.

--

Harold and I drove over to the Pickett compound. He's not much for cold weather, and it seemed to me I could hear something in his engine tightening up, but he held it together for me, that blessed car.

The walk from the driveway to Davis's house was frigid, even in my winter coat and mittens. You never think much about weather when it's good, but once it gets cold enough to see your breath, you can't ignore it. The weather decides when you think about it, not the other way around.

As I approached, the front door opened for me. Davis was sitting on the couch next to Noah, playing their usual starfighter video game. "Hi," I said.

"Hey," Davis said.

"'Sup," Noah added.

"Listen, bud," Davis said as he stood up. "I'm gonna go for a walk with Aza before she debundles. Back in a bit, cool?" He reached over and mussed Noah's hair.

"Cool," Noah said.

--

"I read Daisy's stories," I told him as we walked. The grass of the golf course was still cut perfectly short, even though the only golfer in the family had now been missing for months.

"They're pretty good, right?"

"I guess. I was distracted by how terrible Ayala is."

"She's not all bad. Just anxious."

"She causes one hundred percent of the problems in the stories."

He nudged his shoulder against me sweetly. "I kind of liked her, but I guess I'm biased."

--