Page 90 of From This Moment (After We Fall 4)
Or that it wasn’t, and I needed to retreat before I got hurt.
Suddenly the rain started pounding my windshield, coming down so hard and fast I couldn’t see. “I said nothing drastic,” I complained, turning up my wiper speed.
But I ended up pulling over and waiting it out, worrying about everything and playing with the fourth finger of my left hand, where my ring used to be.
Seventeen
WES
It had been a long time since I’d tried to sneak into my parents’ house. Back in the day, Drew and I used to climb this one tree to get onto the roof, and from there we’d just go through his bedroom window. As I pulled up, I so dreaded the inquisition I was sure to get from my mother that I actually considered giving it a try.
But I didn’t. I wasn’t that nervous teenager any more. I was a full-grown man, and I had the right to come and go as I pleased. If she wanted me in her house for the time being, she’d have to deal with that.
Still, I sort of hoped no one would be in the kitchen to witness my walk of shame.
No such luck.
“Well, my goodness!” said my mother, seated at the kitchen table with Abby and my dad. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
I probably did look like something the cat dragged in, wearing yesterday’s clothes, wrinkled from a night on Hannah’s floor and rained-drenched from this morning. I ran a hand through my damp hair. “Morning.”
“Morning,” said my dad.
“We’re having waffles,” Abby announced. “I made some, just like Mommy makes.”
“But even better,” added my mom, “because they’re Nana’s secret recipe.”
I rolled my eyes and headed for the stairs.
“And where were you?”
None of your business, I wanted to say. But I’d promised my dad I’d tolerate her better, and I didn’t want to be an asshole in front of Abby. “I slept at Pete’s.”
“At Pete’s?”
“Yeah, fell asleep on his couch. I’m gonna change real quick.”
Upstairs in my room, I traded my wet clothes for dry ones, and sent a quick text to Pete. Hey. Give me a call later.
On the off chance that my mother ran into him somewhere, I didn’t want him to be blindsided by her questions about how we’d been spending so much time together recently.
I’d have liked to hide out in my room for a while, but those waffles had smelled pretty good, and my stomach was growling. I went back to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee and brought a plate to the table, where a big platter held waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon. My dad had taken his coffee cup into the great room, where he always spent a couple
hours in his chair, reading the Sunday paper. I took his seat and piled my plate with food.
“This looks delicious.” Always good to open with a compliment.
I could feel my mother’s eyes on me as I ate.
“Any plans today?” she asked.
“Not really.”
“How about this week?”
“Not sure.”
“Uncle Wes is going to be my special person at school,” said Abby, smiling proudly. “He said he would.”
