vehicle for this assignment.”
“What did you do this time?” she asked in a voice dripping with light sarcasm. She assumed that as usual, Reece hadn’t really do ne anything.
He shrugged again. “Same old, same old.”
She took a bite and chewed slow ly. She was honestly surprised that there was still that much tension between Reece and his dad. Considering she assumed she was the cause of most of their tension . She had thought things would be better now.
“My parents separated over the summer,” he finally blurted out.
“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I had no idea.”
He flicked a glance her way. It was full of annoyance. “Yeah, I know,” he said.
“What happened?” She set her c aramel roll down and turned so she was facing him. She knew his parents’ marriage had been rocky for a whi le. For as long as she ’d known him and probably even longer than that . And while his home life wasn’t the same kind of mess that hers was, it wasn’t all neat and tidy either.
“Do you care?” he asked. His voice had a harshness to it that she didn’t recognize.
“Of course I care.” His tone hurt but as far as she was concerned, he had every right to use it with her.
He kept his eyes on the road . She watched as he clenched and unclenched his jaw.
“Well,” he finally said, “basically my dad is an ass. Mom’s put up with him for years.
She f inally had enough. He moved out. T hey went to marriage counseling over the summer . I guess things are better now because a few weeks ago, he moved back in.” He shrugged.
“Sometimes I don’t know how they ever ended up together in the first place. But Mom
says that the stress of the business is wearing on him. And I’m supposed to want to take that
over someday?” he scoffed. “Then again, it’s probably my fault that he’s stressed. Because I don’t want to take over .”
She knew exactly how Reece fe lt about taking over the family business. “It’s not your fault your dad is the way he is. You should be able to choose your own future. ”
He sighed and looked at her . “How about you? What’s going on with you? And don’t tell me ‘ nothing ’ because I can see that’s not true.”
So much for my concealer , she thought.
She shrugged. “I don’t really want to talk about it. ”
“You know, you can still talk to me. We were friends. Before we were anything else.” Cleo had nothing to say to this. No words that would suffice. Or make sense. Or explain
why she couldn’t. “But you won’t,” he guessed.
“I can’t, Reece, ” she said as she fidgeted with her cup. She ’d already abandoned the caramel roll.
“You can’t talk to me?” he asked. Anger , surprise and sadness mingled in his tone.
She shook her head.
“Why?”
“Because, it’s just too hard.”
He scoffed in disbelief. “Hard for you? You broke up with me . Remember?”
“I wish I didn’t.” The words flew from her mouth, bypassing any filter.
Reece pulled up to the curb of the address he’d memorized. Then he stared at her for a moment, incredulous .
“Didn’t what?” he finally demanded.
She knew what he was asking. She wished she didn’t… what ? Didn’t break up with him? Or d idn’t remember how awful that day had been ?
The answer to that was both . But she could hardly say that.
She shook her head , grateful they were stopped . She could jump out before she said things she couldn’t take back . A few p eople had gotten there before them . T hey already had rakes in their hands . She waved to a girl named Janna . Janna was giving Cleo a look that clearly questioned why she was in Reece’s vehicle . “Let’s just go. We’re going to be late.”
“So what?” he demanded as he grabbed her arm. His hand slid down it until his fingers tangled with hers . She didn’t mean to squeeze his hand but she did and he forced a smile. “So what if we’re a few minutes late. Just talk to me. That’s all I want. ”
What
“What did you do this time?” she asked in a voice dripping with light sarcasm. She assumed that as usual, Reece hadn’t really do ne anything.
He shrugged again. “Same old, same old.”
She took a bite and chewed slow ly. She was honestly surprised that there was still that much tension between Reece and his dad. Considering she assumed she was the cause of most of their tension . She had thought things would be better now.
“My parents separated over the summer,” he finally blurted out.
“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I had no idea.”
He flicked a glance her way. It was full of annoyance. “Yeah, I know,” he said.
“What happened?” She set her c aramel roll down and turned so she was facing him. She knew his parents’ marriage had been rocky for a whi le. For as long as she ’d known him and probably even longer than that . And while his home life wasn’t the same kind of mess that hers was, it wasn’t all neat and tidy either.
“Do you care?” he asked. His voice had a harshness to it that she didn’t recognize.
“Of course I care.” His tone hurt but as far as she was concerned, he had every right to use it with her.
He kept his eyes on the road . She watched as he clenched and unclenched his jaw.
“Well,” he finally said, “basically my dad is an ass. Mom’s put up with him for years.
She f inally had enough. He moved out. T hey went to marriage counseling over the summer . I guess things are better now because a few weeks ago, he moved back in.” He shrugged.
“Sometimes I don’t know how they ever ended up together in the first place. But Mom
says that the stress of the business is wearing on him. And I’m supposed to want to take that
over someday?” he scoffed. “Then again, it’s probably my fault that he’s stressed. Because I don’t want to take over .”
She knew exactly how Reece fe lt about taking over the family business. “It’s not your fault your dad is the way he is. You should be able to choose your own future. ”
He sighed and looked at her . “How about you? What’s going on with you? And don’t tell me ‘ nothing ’ because I can see that’s not true.”
So much for my concealer , she thought.
She shrugged. “I don’t really want to talk about it. ”
“You know, you can still talk to me. We were friends. Before we were anything else.” Cleo had nothing to say to this. No words that would suffice. Or make sense. Or explain
why she couldn’t. “But you won’t,” he guessed.
“I can’t, Reece, ” she said as she fidgeted with her cup. She ’d already abandoned the caramel roll.
“You can’t talk to me?” he asked. Anger , surprise and sadness mingled in his tone.
She shook her head.
“Why?”
“Because, it’s just too hard.”
He scoffed in disbelief. “Hard for you? You broke up with me . Remember?”
“I wish I didn’t.” The words flew from her mouth, bypassing any filter.
Reece pulled up to the curb of the address he’d memorized. Then he stared at her for a moment, incredulous .
“Didn’t what?” he finally demanded.
She knew what he was asking. She wished she didn’t… what ? Didn’t break up with him? Or d idn’t remember how awful that day had been ?
The answer to that was both . But she could hardly say that.
She shook her head , grateful they were stopped . She could jump out before she said things she couldn’t take back . A few p eople had gotten there before them . T hey already had rakes in their hands . She waved to a girl named Janna . Janna was giving Cleo a look that clearly questioned why she was in Reece’s vehicle . “Let’s just go. We’re going to be late.”
“So what?” he demanded as he grabbed her arm. His hand slid down it until his fingers tangled with hers . She didn’t mean to squeeze his hand but she did and he forced a smile. “So what if we’re a few minutes late. Just talk to me. That’s all I want. ”
What
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