smiling to
myself, and stuffing the rest of my tasteless pancake into my mouth.
I pick up my plate and ask Max if I can take his. I figure
he doesn’t mind when he pushes it to the side toward me then goes right back to
the iPad. I sort of wish his mom was just as direct. Might make figuring out
where I stand a whole hell of a lot easier.
Avery’s washing up the plates in the kitchen. I pass Ray
when I take mine over, and I could swear he gives me a signal with his glance,
urging me to talk to his daughter. There’s also a good chance I’m imagining
Ray’s approval—truthfully, disappointing him— again ! — scares the
hell out of me. And I can’t think of anything that would disappoint him more
than me chasing after Avery.
I start to help with the plates, but she just grabs mine
from my hand and smiles curtly. It almost felt…hostile.
“Okay…uh, thanks,” I say, taking a few steps back to the
door. I stop, though, mid-stride and close my eyes. Come on, don’t be a pussy. I come back and lean on the edge of the
nearby counter, close enough to make her noticeably shift her weight. “So…what
did you really think? I heard what
you said. You thought it was good. And thank you. I appreciate that. But…now
that we’re not at the bar…with your family…”
She finishes the last plate and turns the faucet off, but
she keeps her gaze focused on the damn soapy water, her hands wringing the
sponge dry. She looks so uncomfortable that it has me just wanting to
retreat—but I’m in too far. And I’d regret turning back.
“I want to know the things you can’t say…in front of them,”
I lean in closer while I ask this, and her breath halts. I swear her fingers
are trembling, and it’s making me want to reach out and touch her, just to let
her know it’s safe.
It feels like forever until she finally exhales. And just
when I don’t think she’s going to acknowledge it— directly— she does.
“Don’t do this, Mason,” her eyelids flit, almost as if it’s
with exhaustion. I’m so taken off guard with her response, I react immediately.
“Don’t…do what? Say ‘I’m sorry?’” I spit back, probably a
lot harsher than I mean to.
“Yeah,” she says, tossing the sponge in the sink and wiping
her hands dry on the front of her jeans while she walks past me. “Don’t say
you’re sorry.”
Shit!
I follow her back though the kitchen door. Max is still
sitting in his place, playing on his iPad, and Ray has moved on to business
already, loading in some crates from the back. I look over and think about
helping him just so I have an excuse to leave this conversation. But it’s really my fault I’m having it in the
first place, so instead, I decide to be a prick about it and slide up on one of
the stools next to Max.
“What are you guys doing today?” I ask, knowing Max will
probably answer before Avery. I can actually feel her dig her heels in behind
the bar while her eyes roll.
“Mom says I am to get a haircut,” Max says, his voice almost
robotic, and his eyes not leaving the screen of his tablet.
“Haircut, huh? Okay, that sounds good,” I fold my hands and
smile smugly at Avery. I’m totally tagging along for the haircut. And hell, I
might just follow along for groceries, and watch her do her damn homework just
to piss her off at this point.
“I don’t like having people touch my hair,” Max’s eyes flair
when he says this, and his tone seems more irritated, so I don’t tease anymore.
I don’t want him to think that I’m teasing him.
She leans forward now and forces Max to acknowledge her
gaze. “But you are starting school next week, and part of that means getting a
haircut. We’ve been over this, right Max?” She seems tense again, so I decide
to back off. I’m about to let her off the hook completely when Max becomes my
unexpected wingman.
“Can Mason come?” when Max asks, Avery’s eyes almost leave
her head. I can actually hear her swallow in response, and
myself, and stuffing the rest of my tasteless pancake into my mouth.
I pick up my plate and ask Max if I can take his. I figure
he doesn’t mind when he pushes it to the side toward me then goes right back to
the iPad. I sort of wish his mom was just as direct. Might make figuring out
where I stand a whole hell of a lot easier.
Avery’s washing up the plates in the kitchen. I pass Ray
when I take mine over, and I could swear he gives me a signal with his glance,
urging me to talk to his daughter. There’s also a good chance I’m imagining
Ray’s approval—truthfully, disappointing him— again ! — scares the
hell out of me. And I can’t think of anything that would disappoint him more
than me chasing after Avery.
I start to help with the plates, but she just grabs mine
from my hand and smiles curtly. It almost felt…hostile.
“Okay…uh, thanks,” I say, taking a few steps back to the
door. I stop, though, mid-stride and close my eyes. Come on, don’t be a pussy. I come back and lean on the edge of the
nearby counter, close enough to make her noticeably shift her weight. “So…what
did you really think? I heard what
you said. You thought it was good. And thank you. I appreciate that. But…now
that we’re not at the bar…with your family…”
She finishes the last plate and turns the faucet off, but
she keeps her gaze focused on the damn soapy water, her hands wringing the
sponge dry. She looks so uncomfortable that it has me just wanting to
retreat—but I’m in too far. And I’d regret turning back.
“I want to know the things you can’t say…in front of them,”
I lean in closer while I ask this, and her breath halts. I swear her fingers
are trembling, and it’s making me want to reach out and touch her, just to let
her know it’s safe.
It feels like forever until she finally exhales. And just
when I don’t think she’s going to acknowledge it— directly— she does.
“Don’t do this, Mason,” her eyelids flit, almost as if it’s
with exhaustion. I’m so taken off guard with her response, I react immediately.
“Don’t…do what? Say ‘I’m sorry?’” I spit back, probably a
lot harsher than I mean to.
“Yeah,” she says, tossing the sponge in the sink and wiping
her hands dry on the front of her jeans while she walks past me. “Don’t say
you’re sorry.”
Shit!
I follow her back though the kitchen door. Max is still
sitting in his place, playing on his iPad, and Ray has moved on to business
already, loading in some crates from the back. I look over and think about
helping him just so I have an excuse to leave this conversation. But it’s really my fault I’m having it in the
first place, so instead, I decide to be a prick about it and slide up on one of
the stools next to Max.
“What are you guys doing today?” I ask, knowing Max will
probably answer before Avery. I can actually feel her dig her heels in behind
the bar while her eyes roll.
“Mom says I am to get a haircut,” Max says, his voice almost
robotic, and his eyes not leaving the screen of his tablet.
“Haircut, huh? Okay, that sounds good,” I fold my hands and
smile smugly at Avery. I’m totally tagging along for the haircut. And hell, I
might just follow along for groceries, and watch her do her damn homework just
to piss her off at this point.
“I don’t like having people touch my hair,” Max’s eyes flair
when he says this, and his tone seems more irritated, so I don’t tease anymore.
I don’t want him to think that I’m teasing him.
She leans forward now and forces Max to acknowledge her
gaze. “But you are starting school next week, and part of that means getting a
haircut. We’ve been over this, right Max?” She seems tense again, so I decide
to back off. I’m about to let her off the hook completely when Max becomes my
unexpected wingman.
“Can Mason come?” when Max asks, Avery’s eyes almost leave
her head. I can actually hear her swallow in response, and
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