Page 119 of Love at First Ride
‘My mom. My half-brothers and a half-sister.’
‘Do you have manyhalf-siblings?’
She didn’t need to put any emphasis on that word. I already know what kind of woman she thinks my mother is. And my guess is that the name ‘Noah Brady’ in connection with car theft in Canyon would mean nothing to her, but I keep things simple, just in case.
‘Several. Yeah.’
‘And your mother… she doesn’t feel the need to move to the city?’
I bite down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying what I really think. ‘She can’t afford the rents out this way.’
‘I believe she would have been offered financial assistance.’
I could tell her straight. What we in Rapture think of her relocation scheme. But once I got started, I wouldn’t stop. And I’m here for Hollie, no matter how much Evelyn Wallace looks down her nose at me.
‘The children…’ she continues. ‘They’re in school?’
I feel my pulse start to pound. My guess is she knows there’s no longer a school in Rapture, because it got shut down years ago, when I was still a kid, and that there’s the same dilapidated yellow school bus that still brings Rapture kids over to east Canyon to go to schools here in the city. ‘They take the bus,’ I say tightly.
‘And what about your father?’
I feel Hollie’s fingers squeeze mine.
‘He left when I was nine.’
‘I see. Does he still live in Rapture?’
‘I don’t know where he lives.’
‘That must be difficult for you.’
I’m happy if I never see that sorry ass motherfucker again.‘It don’t really bother me.’
‘And the situation in Rapture? Doesthatbother you?’
I swear I see her eyes flash. Like she’s daring me to give my view on the one issue that has defined her time as mayor of this place.
‘Evelyn, that’s not fair,’ Hollie interrupts, her mouth set in a tight line. ‘It’s not fair, and it’s not welcoming.’
Evelyn leans her head to one side. ‘Oh, my dear girl. I’m not the one who decided to go slumming it on the wrong side of the tracks to find myself a so-called boyfriend. I sense there’s something going on behind the scenes here, that perhaps you haven’t been alive to.’
Hollie shoots to her feet, letting go of my hand, just as her father enters the room carrying a tray of drinks. ‘And what is that supposed to mean?’ she bites out.
Evelyn Wallace keeps her eyes trained on me. ‘Did Echo Salinger put you up to this? To pursue Hollie just to spite me? I’m guessing you knew how it would look?’
Hollie’s dad comes to a halt. ‘What’s going on?’ he asks.
My racing pulse just turned into a pounding inside my chest. ‘I would never do somethin’ like that,’ I say in a low tone. ‘And I know Echo, I respect him. He would never stoop so low either.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t put anything past that excuse for a man,’ Evelyn says.
I get to my feet. The mayor remains seated. I glance at Hollie and take her hand again.
‘Maybe you should go,’ Hollie says to me decisively, then glares at her stepmom. ‘I’ll walk you out.’
I watch the mayor closely, my chest rising and falling. I’m not gonna argue with her. If I stay here any longer, I’ll only say something I’ll later regret.
‘You’re sure?’ I ask her.
