Free The Right Kind of Wrong by Jade Eby Page B

against wood and Vince slips out, cradling a coffee mug. He sits on the other side of the porch swing, his foot pushing us back and forth.  
      "Morning." His voice crackles.  
    "Morning. I see you found the coffee."  
    "Yeah, Elaine had a mug waiting for me."
    "She likes you."
    "I know." I hear the smile in his voice.
    I stare at the misty landscape and inhale. Crisp, fresh air fills my lungs.  
    "It's nice out here. Is this what it's like all the time?"
    I nod. "Pretty much. Even in the dead of winter when it's freezing, the snow covers everything like a white blanket. Especially out here. Because there's not a whole lot of traffic, it stays pretty clean."
    "I've never seen snow."  
    I turn to him. “Really?"
    He laughs. "Remember, Nevada and California. The only two places I've ever been. Except for now."  
    "Wow. I can't imagine never seeing snow. It's one of the things I miss when I'm in California."
    He shrugs. "Can't miss what you've never had."  
    "Touché." We sit sipping our coffee, watching the mist and dew fade. The heat starts to creep in around us. Vince's words from last night replay in my mind over and over again. You're the one who should apologize.  
      I desperately want to. But I don't, because I'm selfish. I want to hoard the silence.
    Just as I'm ready to get up, Vince nudges me in the ribs. "I'm sorry about last night."
    I rub the spot where his elbow dug in. "I'm sorry, too."  
    He runs a hand through his hair and rests it on his neck. "I'm not good at this whole apologizing or explaining thing. Clearly. I'm just hoping we can forgive and forget."
    My grandmother's words from last night whisper in my ear and I try to give Vince a sincere smile. "If you're good then I'm good. So are we...?"
    "Good? Yeah. We're good."
    I get off the swing and take his empty coffee mug from him. "Great. Then go get ready. We have a busy day ahead."  
    One of his sideways smiles settles on his face and he follows me into the house. He bounds up the stairs while I wash out our mugs in the sink.
    "What's on your agenda, today?" Grandma asks.
    "I'll probably take Vince around town. Show him Grandpa's favorite spots. We'll be stopping by the cemetery. You want me to take anything when we go?"  
    Grandma shakes her head. "No, I was there a couple weeks ago. "She rests her hand on my shoulder. "Tell him hello for me." I clasp my hand over hers.  
    "I will. Need anything else while we're out?"
    "I don't think so. Make sure you show him the memorial wall. I think he'll enjoy that."
    I smile and head for the stairs. "You're right, he will."  
    As I get to the top of the stairs, the bathroom door opens and I nearly run into Vince, who’s wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.  
    I'm frozen in place as my gaze skims over his bare chest,. Water droplets still cling to him. Don't look at his face. Just get to your room. I mumble a "sorry," and duck into my room before he can say anything.
      I pull out every item of clothing I brought and try to gauge what I should wear today. Am I expecting to be on camera? What if I run into someone I know? How should the girl who's made it big in California dress? I made damn sure when I left that's what people believed I was going to do. Four years later, I have absolutely no idea what making it big means.  
    I pull on a long boyfriend tee with a pair of skinny jeans finished off with cowboy boots. I look at myself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room and am stunned to see a reflection of someone I used to know. The old me. The girl who didn't give a shit what people thought. I brush my hair and apply minimal makeup before leaving the room.  
    Downstairs, Vince and Grandma are in a heated conversation about something and I hate breaking it up. "You want to stay here and keep Grandma company or you coming with me?" I ask.
    He exchanges a look with Grandma but turns to me and smirks. "As tempting as that might be, I don't think you can handle a camera quite