Page 103 of Wayward

“Architecture. Eventually, I think. Maybe not right away. I’m going to do some undergrad online first.”

“Is this true?” Mom asks Haley—not me.

“I . . . If Zane says it’s true, it’s true.” Haley nods. I hate that I’ve blindsided her too.

Mum clings to me in a long hug. Her eyes are sparkling with tears when she pulls back. “You’re good for him. All of you.” She picks the spoon back up and points to Haley and the guys. “I listened in on what you told Ruby in your room through the vent.” She shrugs. “You do what you want. Just be happy and alive. And with a degree? Yes, your dad would be so proud. Me too.”

“He doesn’t have it yet,” Ruby says.

“But he will. Just like you.” Mom pulls Ruby to one side, and I, unfortunately, get the other—the one with the spoon, but it doesn’t stay there for long. Penny jumps and takes it from her hand. A tinge of smoke comes from the kitchen.

“Oh, no.” My mum runs to the stove.

“Let’s go get that curry now,” Ruby says as Mum turns the cooktop off.

Chapter 44

Dry Docked

Haley

“Ilike flying in your private jet a lot more than Z’s.” I grab Easton’s hand. We’ve got another hour before we land in Miami. But the memory of being on Z’s jet, locked up and not knowing where we were going, won’t leave me anytime soon. Really, there’s a lot that’s going to take a while for me to process. The only thing I know is that I love the men on this plane with me.

Penny’s sitting in the chair on the other side of the aisle. She jumped up the second Sam headed to the lavatory.

“Get up,” Sam says from the aisle next to Easton.

“You’re not going to make Penny move,” Easton says with a laugh.

“I was talking to you.” Sam cocks his head to the side.

“Fine. I need to use the loo too.” Easton closes his book. I give Easton a quick kiss.

“That’s the bathroom now that we’re almost in Miami,” Zane says from the row behind me.

Easton growls and heads off.

Sam drops into Easton’s seat. “How are you doing, Haley?” He takes my hand and kisses my thumb.

“I’m . . .” Honestly, I don’t know how I am. We’ve told Zane’s mom and sister. Easton’s dad knows, but that’s it. Dante assures me that his mom won’t care. She didn’t care when he came out as bi. She won’t care about this either. As long as we are all kind to her son. Calvin said the same thing.

That leaves Sam’s family and my dad. There’s also the very large question of where we’re all going to live and what we’re going to do to survive. There’ve been little details discussed. But a lot of things have changed about me in the last year. More than having five boyfriends, a dog, and a cat—but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that I like certainty. I like knowing what’s going to happen and how it will be done. It’s one of the things that made me a great stew. I like the prep work. And I love a good list. A list!

“What?” Sam says softly, giving my hand another kiss. “Your eyes are sparkling with excitement.”

“I need some paper.” I search the pocket in front of my seat on the wall, but there’s nothing there but an airsick bag. “Good enough.”

“Do you want this?” Sam hands me a pen. And I start scrawling across the top of the bag.

Sam leans back, his eyes closed, his hand on my leg. That’s what I love about Sam. He’s so easygoing he doesn’t ask me a thousand questions about what it is I’m doing. He knows when I’m ready I’ll tell him.

I fill the whole bag with my list, front and back, before I open the inside and use it too. “That’s what I needed,” I say, absentmindedly. The bag flops over and rubs Sam’s arm.

“That’s a lot of something.” Sam leans over to me.

“It’s a list.” I need to copy it over, but it’s exactly what I need. “A list of what I’m going to tell my dad. Because he’s not going tocry and hug me like Zane’s mom. He barely spoke to me before I left on theRock Candy. He’s not going to like . . . well, us.”

“Parents love me, Haley.”