Chapter 5 #3
He paused. “I’m sorry, Felicity.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said with a shrug. “I honestly don’t remember much about my dad. He ran off with an intern when I was six, and they moved to some European country where there’s no international child support enforcement. How clichéd is that?”
Wow. Talk about too much information.
The look on Alec’s face was impossible to gauge, and when seconds passed without him responding, my ears burned.
I searched my head for something to say, some way to fix the bomb I’d dropped in his lap, but I couldn’t take back what I’d said.
Instead, I concentrated on the to-be bracelet in my hands.
Finally, he cleared his throat. “I can top that,” he told me, and my head snapped up at his words. “My parents got divorced three years ago, and my dad is on his third marriage since then. Wife number four is half his age. How’s that for a stereotypical shitty dad?”
Whoa. That was so not what I expected him to say.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a gentle tone. I wanted him to know I meant it, because I knew how it felt to have a screwed-up family. “That must be tough.”
He offered me a weak smile, but his entire body had gone stiff. “It’s fine.”
It clearly wasn’t, but I could also tell that he didn’t want to discuss it anymore. Which made me remember that Alec still hadn’t mentioned why he came over in the first place. I said as much to him.
“Right,” he started, but before he could say anything else, the front door opened and closed with a slam.
“Felicity!” Mom called from the hall. “I’m home. I hope you didn’t cook dinner. I brought tacos from that Mexican place you like.”
I scrambled out of my chair. “Shit!”
“What’s wrong?” Alec asked, concerned.
“You can’t be here. If my mom sees you, she’ll kill me.” As I glanced around my room, I realized there was absolutely nowhere for Alec to hide. My closet was too small, and there was only room for Lord Pugton underneath my bed.
“Okay?” he said, still looking confused.
“House rules,” I added, even though it was a lie.
There wasn’t time for a real explanation, and even if there was, I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth.
I didn’t want him to meet my mom. Because then I’d have to explain her ridiculous assumption and judgment, which would not only be embarrassing, but would probably offend him.
“Oh.” He drew his mouth into a straight line. “So…what am I supposed to do exactly?”
My gaze landed on the window. “Quick,” I said, shoving it open. “Go out this way.”
He seemed taken aback for a brief moment, but strode over to the window with purpose.
I glanced over my shoulder at the door and willed it to stay closed until he was out of sight.
He slung his leg over the sill and carefully maneuvered himself outside.
Once he was crouching in the bushes, he turned to face me.
“Bye, Alec,” I said. “Sorry about this.”
“Is there a better time for me to come back?” he asked. “Maybe tomorrow when your mother is home?”
“No!”
Alec frowned.
“I won’t be home,” I explained. “I’m working all day tomorrow.
” As the words left my mouth, it occurred to me that work was my solution.
Mom never went to the diner, so it was the perfect place for us to talk.
I grabbed a piece of scrap paper off my desk and scribbled down the Electric Waffle’s address.
“Meet me here,” I said, shoving the paper into his hands. “We can talk then.”
I slammed the window shut.
***
With Alec gone and Mom none the wiser, I went to find her in the kitchen. She greeted me with her usual peck on the cheek and tight hug.
“Honey, do you know whose car is parked in front of the house?” she asked when I pulled away.
My back went stiff. Not knowing what to do, I decided to play dumb. “There’s a car parked out front?”
“Yeah, a really nice one.”
“Mr. Ramirez’s son is a doctor. Maybe it’s his and he stopped by for a visit?”
“Maybe.” Mom didn’t sound convinced, but she dropped the subject, and we sat down to dinner.
Even though the food was from my favorite Mexican place, I pushed the beans and rice around my plate without taking many bites.
Oblivious, Mom chattered away about her day at the dentist’s office where she was a receptionist. Why anyone would want to be the gatekeeper to hell was beyond me, but she liked the stability and regular hours.
My mind was too focused on Alec to pay much attention.
I didn’t know what to think about him showing up out of nowhere, especially since I was still struggling to come to grips with who he was. It felt strange, seeing and talking to him like he was a normal guy and not a world-famous musician.
What did he want from me?
In addition to my confusion was a swelling pang of guilt.
It had started as soon as I stepped into the kitchen and saw my mom’s smile.
I shouldn’t have let Alec into the house.
Not because Mom’s judgment about him was right—I still thought Alec was a good guy—but because she didn’t deserve to be disrespected.
She worked hard for the two of us and loved me fiercely.
I might not agree with her about Alec, but that didn’t give me the right to go against her wishes.
“Felicity?”
“Huh?”
“I said, Dave gets home on Friday, so I’ll be spending the weekend at his place. You okay holding down the fort on your own?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Good.” She dropped her silverware and collapsed back into her chair like she’d finished running a marathon. “That was delicious. Whaddaya say we clean this mess up and watch some reruns of Gilmore Girls before that show Asha loves so much comes on?”