I chewed on my lip, contemplating if I really wanted to ask Ryan to sit through a couple hours of torture. Misery needed company, right? “Do you want to go to dinner with me? And them?”
He grabbed my hand, his thumb smoothing over my skin, sending goose bumps rushing up my arm. “I’d love to.”
“Really?”
He smiled. “Well, you’ve met my dad.”
I cocked my head and shot him a look. “Um, I work for your dad. That’s a little different.”
“Small potatoes.”
“There’s something you have to know.” I swallowed past the tightness in my throat. Just the thought of Ryan meeting Mom, the way she’d potentially treat him. I wouldn’t subject my worst enemy to a dinner with her, and here I was asking him to go voluntarily. “My mom can be a little…overwhelming.”
“If I can handle my dad, I think I got your mom covered.”
“I don’t know. Have you seen that one movie with Robert De Niro where he’s the overprotective father? That’s basically my mom. I understand if you don’t want to come—”
“Jules?” he interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“I like you. And I’d love to meet your scary mom.”
I laughed. He’d said this before, but this had a lot more sincerity behind it. “Okay.”
I joined him under the covers, resting my head against his bare chest. Ryan felt like home should be, how I wish mine was—warm and comfortable. I wanted to bottle up this feeling and keep it forever. I’d slowly been taking down my walls with him, showing him the real me. Something I hadn’t done with a guy—ever.
His breath caressed my skin as he said, “I know I said I’d like to keep it just fun, but, if you’re open to it, I’d like to explore other options, too. Maybe we can take this one day at a time and see where it leads us?”
I laced our fingers together. “Sounds perfect.”
Around five, my mom called to say she was in town. At her insistence, she asked for Payton and Blake to join us for dinner. Of course. This was going to be a total gushfest over the awesomeness of Payton and Blake. Future Dr. and Dr. McDreamy. I hated how bitter I sounded, but that was how I felt around my mom, a constant gloom sucking out any happiness in the air.
Ryan and Blake were already over at our apartment, playing Mario Kart. Ryan was playing as Princess Peach, which struck me as a little off. I’d pegged him for choosing Yoshi or Wario, but he chose a princess. I shook my head and smiled as he whooped after making Blake’s character crash and burn from a banana. Always an enigma.
A knock came from the door and my spine immediately took its rigid, self-preservation stance. Blake shut off the video game, and everyone got off the couch, making their way to the kitchen.
I took a deep breath and opened the door, a smile plastered on my face. This was going to be okay. I just had to make it through dinner—two hours of torture, tops. Small doses were a heck of a lot better than being trapped in their house for an entire weekend.
Mom had a blood-red purse slung over her arm, matching the color of her dress. I gave her props; the woman had style. “Hello, Juliette.”
“Hey, Mom.” I gave her a quick hug. Peering around her shoulder, I didn’t see my dad. I thought she said this was a family get-together. “Where’s Dad?”
“Emergency at the hospital. He was called in last minute. He sends his regards.”
“Oh.” I frowned. He was usually the barrier between me and her. The silent one who stepped in whenever she took it too far. Guess I was on my own tonight.
Her brows scrunched together as she studied my shoulders and face. “What happened to your skin? It’s so red.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. Well, Mom, I was a little too preoccupied with sex on a boat to think about sunscreen. Sex apparently cancelled out all logic. Ryan took my hand behind me, giving it a knowing squeeze. Our secret. “Tanned a little too long, I guess.”
“You really need to be more careful. What kind of example are you going to be setting for your patients?”
Do not roll your eyes, I commanded myself. That would just make it worse. Instead, I gripped Ryan’s hand harder. “Yes, Mom.”
Mom turned her attention to the other three people in the room, now noticing we weren’t alone. Her face lit up when she saw my roommate. “Payton! So good to see you. Did you get the chocolate-covered coffee beans I sent in Juliette’s care package?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you, Dr. Carmichael.”
“And Blake, great to see you again.” She grabbed Blake’s hand and beamed up at him. “Congratulations on getting into Drexler’s med school.”
“Thank you, Dr. Carmichael.”
She let out a hearty laugh. Her game face, the one she used when she was around company. She never laughed like that around me. “Please, call me Vivian.”
She looked to Ryan and then to me, her eyebrows knit. “And who is this, Juliette?”