Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Have fun on your date.
Thanks.
There, I’d done it. Acted like an adult. I should be happy for him. He reached out to someone new and didn’t seem to be having any regrets. Sure, he could be impulsive, but he had plenty of time to think this one through.
I was just about to reheat some takeout when my phone buzzed.
Hope you’re not watching one of our shows without me.
My heart tripped in my chest. Why that affected me so much, I didn’t know. Maybe it was the word he used: our.
Of course not. We’ll get back into our routine eventually.
At least I hoped we would.
That night I tried to keep myself occupied the best I could. I wrote some music, then got on a call with my mom. I wished there was someone I could confide in about all this, but I was too afraid of my own feelings to admit them to anyone.
Certainly not Perry, who might pop a blood vessel. And not only because I was a supposedly straight guy, but because of the band rule that we harped on for so long after his breakup with Heather. I almost felt guilty now that I’d snapped at him last practice.
“Hey, Mom,” I said into the screen just as Wednesday decided to walk onto my lap and turn her tail to the camera. Show-off. She settled the moment I began petting her because she was an affection whore. On her terms, of course. No way she’d let Ellis anywhere near her.
“Why do you look tired?” Mom asked, scrutinizing my face.
“Ugh, this is why video calls with you are not a good idea.”
She laughed. “I’m your mother. I’m allowed to be concerned.”
“There’s nothing to be concerned about. Just had a busy day.”
We talked for a bit about work and family news, and I was glad there was nothing pressing to share about my dad or his side of the family. I didn’t speak with him as often in the years since their divorce, mostly because I didn’t like how it’d all gone down and how he’d treated her in the end. It ruined my idea of what a good marriage looked like, especially since I hadn’t known the extent of how miserable they really were.
I’d just graduated from high school at the time, and I’d lost myself in the music scene and tons of weed to numb the pain because, damn, it hurt to have your parents separate out of the blue. Annabeth was in college and wasn’t around enough to help take away the sting, though she tried to offer support with frequent phone calls. My dad and I were never that close—work took up a lot of his time—but still, I’d enjoyed our talks and family trips before it all fell apart.
Of course I could look back now and see that I’d had a heads-up from their more frequent fights and Mom’s crying jags when Dad was out late on certain nights. Almost like he was avoiding coming home. Annabeth had other suspicions but not any real proof, and Mom had never confided in us that Dad had cheated.
But the vitriol between them during the divorce proceedings really sealed the deal for me that being single was the way to go. Mom had never remarried and had said she was perfectly happy alone, though I did wonder if she’d ever considered dating again. Or maybe she had and just didn’t tell me. We didn’t talk about it much, but I could tell she enjoyed her work and social life plenty.
Right before we signed off, Mom asked about Ellis. I’d hoped we’d skirt the subject.
“How come Ellis isn’t around tonight? You two have been tied at the hip lately.”
I tempered my expression. “I think Ellis needed to try being on his own for a while.”
“What do you mean? Is the band fighting again or something?”
“No, nothing like that.” I sighed and decided to go for some truth. “The break-in really did a number on him.”
She frowned. “You did mention that.”
“So he’s been hanging out up here more, and I think he’s finally feeling more like himself.” I didn’t think Ellis would mind my sharing that.
Her eyes softened. “Oh, honey, you should’ve told me. One of my coworkers had a home invasion, and it took her quite some time to feel okay again.”
I winced. “So yeah, that’s why you’ve seen us together so much. But lately, he’s been trying to stay put in his apartment to feel more normal.”
“Makes sense. I’m glad you’re being such a good friend.” She inspected me again. “But tonight you seem bummed, like maybe…”
“Maybe what?” Could she see it in my eyes? How I was feeling?
“I’m not sure. Are you still worried about him?”
“Maybe a little. Especially since I was the one who encouraged him to move in downstairs in the first place.”