She went “hmm,” paused, and then asked, “Why does it feel like you’re lying to me?”
She could already tell. What the hell? And why was I surprised? “Because you’re crazy?” I offered, making a face into the phone in panic.
“Doubtful.”
“It’s more like a fact, but anyway, there’s nothing to tell you. We don’t see each other that much. The most he does is wave at me.” Sometimes he talked to me, but we didn’t have to be technical, did we?
“B-o-r-i-n-g.”
I groaned. “S-o-r-r-y.”
“Really? You don’t have anything juicy to tell me?”
“Nope.” I’d already worked for him for two years, if there was something bad to tell her, I couldn’t have told her anyway. I’d signed a non-disclosure agreement.
The disgruntled sound out of her mouth made me grin. “Fine. Are you going to El Paso this weekend after all?” she asked, already moving on, knowing if I hadn’t already told her something, I probably wouldn’t.
“Yes,” I confirmed with only the smallest bit of anxiety going through my stomach.
I was going to El Paso for my mom’s birthday.
Did I know I was more than likely going to regret taking the trip hours after I got there? Yes. Nine times out of ten, that had been the case.
But it was her fiftieth birthday, and her husband was planning a party for her. She’d love to see me there, he’d said to me. Lay on the guilt-trip, why didn’t he? I talked to her once a month. I figured that wasn’t too shabby to begin with considering everything.
From the way he’d made me feel, one call every four weeks wasn’t good enough. At least enough for me to feel obligated to go, even though my gut said it was a stupid idea.
“Where are you staying?”
“At a hotel,” I responded. I could stay with my mom if I wanted to, but I didn’t. The last time I’d stayed with her had ended terribly. There was also my two oldest sisters, but I’d rather camp out under a bridge than do that. Finally, there were my foster parents who I was planning on dropping by and visiting while I was in town, but I didn’t want to impose on them.
“Is Oscar going?” she asked about my little brother.
“No. He already started school.”
“Are you going by yourself?”
“Of course I’m going by myself,” I answered before thinking about just what I was saying.
Wasn’t the Three Hundreds’ bye week coming up? That was the week they got off a season to let the players rest. Should I go by myself? Would it be a good idea to take Aiden around my mom? My sisters? That idea had me cringing.
But I could have him around to break the news. Now that idea seemed like the only one that could have convinced me. There was no chance of my family members telling Diana or her family, so I wasn’t worried about it getting around that way. “Actually, maybe I won’t.”
The nosey broad took a swift intake of breath. “Really?”
“I might ask Aiden, so keep your mouth shut.”
“I will.” She was such a damn liar. I didn’t believe her at all. I didn’t believe she hadn’t told at least her brother that I was living with Aiden, but since no one had accused me of being a prostitute yet, I had started believing she’d actually kept her mouth shut for once in her life about why I’d moved in with him. She knew it was illegal, and we’d always joked that if one of us went to jail, we would both go, so we could pretend to be each other’s lovers.
The opening and closing of the garage door let me know someone was home. “I’ll tell everyone about your porn bookmarks if you don’t,” I threatened her with a snicker.
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
You never forget accidentally coming across your friend’s—predominantly man on man—porn bookmark folder, no matter how hard you try. “No.”
“Like you’ve never seen gay porn,” she sniped bitterly. “You think Susie might be at your mom’s?
And just like that, my nice, fine day was kicked in the shin. I bit the inside of my cheek and reached up to push my glasses further up my nose. “I don’t know. I talked to my mom a few days ago, but she didn’t mention anything.”
Not that my mom would.
If I did see Susie, chances were high it wasn’t going to end well. It never had. Even people I didn’t know who knew about our situation, were well aware that was a fact. We were like two magnets constantly repelling the other.
Damn it. I knew Diana was just trying to be helpful, but simply thinking about Susie made my head start hurting.
“I don’t think you should go by yourself or with Aiden, for the record.”
That wasn’t surprising. I just wished she wouldn’t have brought up Susie. “I know.”
“But you’re still going?”
I’d already given my word I would. How could I take it back? “Yes.”
She didn’t approve and it was evident over the phone.
“I want to finish eating so I can get back to work. I’ll text you later. Give the demons a hug from me next time you see them, and tell Drigo I haven’t forgotten he still has the DVDs I let him borrow a month ago,” I said to her, rubbing at one of my throbbing temples.
“I will. I’m babysitting them tomorrow. I’ll let you know when I’m off next week so I can do your hair again, ‘kay?”
We hung up just as the door that connected the garage to the kitchen opened and Aiden came in, his duffel in hand.
“Hi,” I said, turning off the stove.
“Hi, Vanessa.” Aiden dropped his bag on the floor by the door and then made his way toward where I was standing, his nostrils flaring at the smell of lentils, chopped vegetables, and sundried tomatoes mixing together. “Smells good.”
I gave him a side-look, only letting what seemed to be an extra-large shirt on his double-extra-large frame distract me for a second. “There’s enough for both of us, if you have a normal, human-sized meal instead of a Hulk-sized one.”
He sniffed, and I think it was more at my comment than to actually smell the food again. “Thank you,” he said, making his way toward the sink to wash his hands. He seemed to hesitate at the island for a minute before taking two plates down from the cupboard and setting them on the counter by the side of my hip.
When the timer for the noodles went off, I drained them, splitting up half the pot on two plates and leaving the other half in the pot. I scooped up the stir-fry and placed it on top of the noodles as Aiden put two red apples side by side in the spot he usually ate at.
We sat down to eat. Each of us just sitting there, not on our phones or computer or anything. Just… sitting there.
“Has Zac come down?” he suddenly asked.
“Once. He came out of his room around noon, but that’s it.” It had been almost a week since he’d been let go from the team, and apart from the day we’d gone out, he hadn’t left his room more than he needed to, which was solely for meals. He didn’t want to talk to anyone or do anything, and I wasn’t sure what to do, if I should even do something.
Aiden made a “hmm” noise.
“I don’t know what to say to him, or if I should do something,” I admitted. I wasn’t good at consoling people. I really wasn’t. Some people knew what to say in all types of situations, knew what words were needed, and they used them perfectly. Me? I usually just settled for an “I’m sorry.” I wasn’t good with words even though I did want to do something for Zac. I just didn’t know what.
The big guy raised his shoulder. “Give him some time,” he suggested.
Mr. Congeniality right here was trying to give me advice on what I should do? Did that mean I should do the opposite?
“Yeah, I guess I will,” I said, before my conversation with Diana came back to me. “Umm, I’m going to El Paso for a few days this weekend. Remember I told you?” I stabbed at a few pieces of pasta scattered around the plate. “It’s my mom’s birthday.”