Despite Eliza's best attempts at forcing us to have breakfast with her, I manage get Vee out of the house. That's how we end up spending a couple of hours at Marco's, eating croissants, drinking coffee—because yes, Vee decides to try some mocha latte—and reading books.

We cozy up on the couch at the back of the café—the same one we occupied on our anniversary last May, and even though it's super quiet, my current company is the best I could ever ask for. That aside, I still can't seem to silence the buzz in my head. Because Martin will wake up again at some point and learn the hard truth I'm so stubbornly avoiding, and when that happens, my sweet dream of this fantasy life I'm currently living, will become a terrible nightmare.

"Is it boring, sweetheart?" Vee lays her palm on my cheek. She's talking about my book—the one she has specifically picked for me to read.

"No," I lie. "It's interesting." That's the third lie today and it's not even noon. Truthfully, I don't remember a word I've read. "I just can't focus today for some reason."

I'll give you a hint, buddy. Maybe it has something to do with the languishing world you're going to have to say goodbye to in a matter of DAYS.

"Want to try a different one?"

I scratch my chin and try to look thoughtful. "Hmmmm...you think you can find a book that's more interesting than the mesmerizing scent of your hair?"

She gives me an eye roll and a half-smile. "You mean the same shampoo I use every day?"

"I think I expressed it more romantically, but yeah, pretty much." I smile at her and close my book. "There's also the fact that I want to go back in time and crawl back into bed with you."

Or go a little farther back and just kill Grandma.

"Hmmmm... that was intense." She grins before reaching forward and kissing my neck, and to my surprise, she gives me a little seductive bite.

I swear, this girl has no idea of how crazy she makes me feel lately.

"If Martin hadn't called, I would have found it hard to stop, you know."

"What about Mom snooping, though?"

"Allow me to show you how much I care about the rest of the world right now." I pull her to me, kissing her slowly and deeply right on the back couch in the middle of freaking Marco's. They can come at me and try to kick me out. Like I care. All I care about is right here, shifting in her seat to kiss me more deeply, with a new hunger that drives me nuts.

Her hands clutch the front of my t-shirt and beg me to get closer, and the only problem with that is, I can't get close enough with all these layers of fabric between us! I want to feel her skin on mine again. Her tongue darts into my mouth and arrests mine—

The fucking phone again.

She pulls back from me and leans her head back on the seat. "I really want to destroy that phone of yours right now."

But this is the call I've been dreading. The end of days is finally upon us, and I really hope I'm not conveying that crude truth with my eyes as I listen to Martin's rant.

I excuse myself, head to the restroom, then brace myself for what's coming.

Martin is anything but calm. "What, in the name of all the fucks on earth, is actually going on here?!" Angry Martin is not a good Martin.

"You probably know more than I do," I say, which may or may not be true.

"What is this crazy fucking BULLSHIT about you going away?!" His voice cracks, and for a moment, I think he's actually going to lose it for real.

"Again, dude, listen to me. You probably know more than I do. All I know is that I have ten more days here at best."

"It's EIGHT fucking days because the fucking reservations are already made, and you just keep talking to me like you're just getting groceries at the motherfucking supermarket!"

I swear I can see him screaming into his phone like he did the other afternoon with Annie.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MOTHERFUCKING MIND, JOHN?!"

I take a second to breathe, hoping he's through with his rant. "Would you chill out, Martin? You're lashing out at me like all this is my fault!"

"FUCK! FUCK! FUUUUUCK!"

Yeah, he's dropping F-bombs like there's no tomorrow. There's a lot more screaming on the other end, too, and then I hear glass shattering. He's really lost it this time. A moment later, there are more fucks in the distance, like he's left his phone somewhere. I hear Aunt Sugar in the background asking what broke and doing her best to calm him down.

"If you let those bastards take John away," I hear Martin yell, "I'm not talking to you ever again, Mom!"

"But Martin, what do you expect me to do, Sugar...?"

"Whatever it FUCKING takes! I don't care who has to die! Just do something, for the love of God!" His voice sounds closer, and I know he picked up his phone again. Some wind hits his end of the line, telling me he's walked outside, and then a second later, he's back.

"Uh, sorry about that, John."

"You really need to calm down, cousin."

"Fuck you, John. Where the fuck are you right now, anyway?"

"I'm on a date with Vee."

"A date? What do you mean a date?" Clearly, he has a hard time wrapping the idea me spending a beautiful day with my girlfriend when the crude reality of our future is fogging up his mind, and I can't really blame him. "You know what?" he says finally. "Fuck that. I don't care. Does she know?"

"Does she know what?"

"GET A GRIP, JOHN!"

"Okay, okay. My bad, man. Sorry about that."

"It's like you're not even aware of what's going on here! What the fuck, dude? You've been freaking out for days about this happening, and now that it has, you've turned into an idiot!"

"Shut up," I say. "I'm well aware of what's going on, trust me."

"You don't sound like you fucking have a clue. And once again, and I'll repeat this in perfect fucking English so you can comprehend this fucking concept: Does Vee know about this or not?"

"No, she does not."

Martin gasps. "What do you mean by no, she does not? No, wait. I get it. You think you can avoid this crap if you wish hard enough that it isn't true, and that's why you're so chill and collected right now, am I right? Tell me I'm right so I can smell your bullshit, track you to wherever you are, and kick some common sense into your fucked-up brain."

I take a deep breath. And while I know Martin is acting this way because he's as upset as I am, his hostile attack is starting to piss me off. "Hey, Marty? You're doing it again; you're attacking me like this is somehow all my idea."

"Look, don't give me that shit, all right? You're hiding some pretty nasty shit from Veronica, and she'll be hella pissed when she finds out."

I have to agree with my cousin there. Vee will be furious if she finds out I've been hiding this from her.

"I know," I tell Martin, "and that's why I'm trying my very best to delay that avalanche of neck-deep shit for as long as I can."

"Screw you, John. I'm calling her."

"No, you won't! Let me handle this. This isn't any of your business!"

"When have you ever handled anything that had to do with Vee?"

It's a fucking good question, but it's not like I know the answer to it.

"Thought so," Martin says. "So, what are you supposedly going to do about it?"

"Look, Martin, here's the thing." The smartest thing I can do at this point is to be completely honest with him before he ruins everything. "This is all sorts of fucked up, and yeah, I'm well aware of how screwed up I am right now. But listen, is it too much to ask that I enjoy a single day of peace with my girlfriend before it all goes to shit? I just want to be me, the normal happy me, with my normal happy Vee, for one more day before everything goes to hell. Just one more day. That's all I'm asking for, cousin."

I can hear Martin cussing under his breath. He seems to be calming down now and I'm hoping he'll chill out so I can have one last day of perfect bliss with Vee without having to stress about him.

"Look, I'm sorry, man," Martin says. "I didn't mean to come at you like that."

"It's okay, Martin. I know you're pissed just as much as I am. There's no hard feelings."

"Shit, I still can't read you, man. You still sound so chill."

"I've fooled Vee all morning now, so you can say that—

"You still have to tell her, John. I get that you want to be normal for one more day, and that's fine. But she needs to know. You kind of owe her that."

Hah! Relationship advice coming from the world's worst boyfriend. It's ironic as hell.

"Yeah," I say. "I guess."

"Tell her tomorrow, you hear?"

"I hear you," I say, frowning. "Loud and clear."

I hang up the phone and make my way back to Vee.

Man, I am so not ready for this.