Chapter 10
Lacey
TJ
How was the big date?
I stare at the message on my screen without blinking. Today is Sunday. It’s been three days since I overheard TJ’s weird phone call with this Vera girl.
Call me impulsive, but I haven’t been answering his texts since—all four of them. I refuse to be a pawn in some twisted cheating scheme. I knew he was a player, so I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s dating some girl, but I want no part of it.
I scroll through his other messages.
TJ
Hey, you still alive?
TJ
Aaron told me he rescheduled the date for tonight.
Then there’s the message he sent me five minutes ago.
TJ
Is everything ok?
I tap out of our conversation and place my phone face down on the bathroom vanity. I’m almost done with my makeup. Mrs. Harrison should be here any second. Then I’m off to meet Aaron at the Grill House.
I sure hope TJ’s not working tonight. It’s bad enough that I made out with him when he has a girlfriend. I don’t need him watching Aaron and me the entire night.
Mrs. Harrison shows up a few minutes early, and I give her a quick rundown of what she has to do. Step one: get the casserole I made from the fridge and heat it up for Sierra and Oli. Step two: make sure Oli does his homework. Simple enough.
She knows the drill by now, and she’s quick to reassure me that she has everything under control before telling me to go and enjoy myself.
The drive over to the Grill House is quick and a little overwhelming. I’m not sure saying yes to that second date was a good move. The closer I get to the restaurant, the more hesitant I feel.
I have to talk myself into getting out of the car, and when I do, my stomach weaves itself into a knot of anxiety. Am I nervous about seeing Aaron? Or am I nervous because I might run into TJ?
The answer reveals itself to me when I walk into the crowded restaurant and see Aaron waiting for me by the reception desk.
His smile is warm and inviting, and seeing him doesn’t affect my inner turmoil in the slightest.
That makes it clear for me. My nerves aren’t because of Aaron. They’re because of TJ. Knowing he might be lurking somewhere is messing with my head.
Not that it matters. I’ve been doing a pretty good job at ignoring him thus far; what’s one more night of pretending like he doesn’t exist?
“Lacey, hey. You look…” Aaron’s words trail off for a moment. “… great .”
Not to sound conceited, but I agree. I put quite a bit of effort into this look—from the cute sundress and heels I’m wearing to the smoky eye makeup I spent an hour perfecting.
I offer him a polite smile. “Thanks.”
“The hostess said it shouldn’t be long,” he says.
Man, this part is awkward—the standing in silence, waiting to be sat part .
“Are you feeling better? I know you were sick last week.” Aaron makes small talk.
“Oh, um, yeah. Much better. I can breathe through my nose again. I forgot what that was like.” I try a joke, and it seems to break the ice because, from there, the conversation flows naturally.
We discuss all sorts of things, such as the weather, the midterms coming up, and our plans for spring break. He tells me that he’s supposed to take a trip to Milan with his family but that he’s bummed out because he wanted to go to Greece.
I won’t lie, I’m annoyed by how out of touch he is. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite. Especially considering that I used to be a tone-deaf, rich kid myself.
While my parents didn’t take me on trips every year, I did grow up in a mansion with a pool and a guest house out back.
The hostess comes to tell us that a table is available and to follow her a few minutes later. My stomach churns at the realization that the only booth available is near the bar. As in, five feet away from it.
And to my absolute horror… TJ is standing behind the counter.
He looks unbelievable, to make matters worse, wearing his work pants and a black button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves and the first two buttons undone.
We make eye contact for a split second, and I immediately look away, acting as though I didn’t see him.
“Weird,” Aaron comments when he notices TJ. “I thought Chance was working the bar tonight.”
Just my luck.
He shrugs. “He probably asked TJ to cover his shift. He’s still a mess over Beth.”
He cheated on her, and now he’s the one playing the victim? Unbelievable.
I can feel TJ’s gaze shadowing my every move as I slide into the booth across from Aaron.
“I hear they have amazing food here,” Aaron says.
“They do. My stepdad and I come here all the time.”
Aaron’s eyes light up with interest. “Your stepdad, are you close with him? Is he present in your life?”
“Yeah, very close. He’s like a second father to me. He’s been in my life since I was seven. But he hasn’t been around as often as he’d like because of my mom. She’s a bit controlling.”
The conversation shifts to our parents and how their decisions in life affect us more than we realize. For example, if my dad hadn’t left my mom after I was born, Oli and Sierra wouldn’t exist.
I remember thinking Aaron was self-centered on our first date, which is why I’m surprised when he takes an interest in my relationship with my mom.
“You must have a lot of resentment toward her. It can’t be easy, being left to fend for yourself at eighteen.”
“I used to. For a long time. But I’ve had to resign myself to the fact that she can’t love me more than she hates my dad. That’s just not how her brain works. It’s like she thinks that by helping me take care of his kids, she’d be helping him . Doing him a favor after what he did to her. Even now that he’s dead, she can’t forgive him.”
“Maybe one day, she’ll realize that she’s ruining her relationship with her daughter by punishing a ghost.” His comment pulls at my heartstrings.
Our relationship was ruined long before I decided to take care of Oliver and Sierra—my mom’s always been cold, distant, and the kind of woman who thinks money can replace love. The difference is, before the accident, I still had hope that one day, we’d patch things up.
Now, I know we’re destined to become estranged.
My phone pings with a text just as the waiter is pouring us water. I pretend not to hear it to be polite, but three more messages come through in a matter of minutes, and I regret not muting the damn thing.
“You might want to check that. Just in case it’s important,” Aaron suggests.
“Right,” I say and reach for my phone.
I have four new messages.
From TJ.
TJ
Are you serious? You’re not even going to look at me?
TJ
What the fuck, Mattson?
TJ
If I did something, just fucking tell me.
TJ
Lacey, I hate this.
I can’t believe I thought I could get away with never talking to him again. We’ve been seeing each other for our lessons and talking all the time for weeks now. As much as I hate to admit it, we’ve become friends.
My gaze strays to the bar on my right before I can get a grip.
Sure enough, a pissed-off TJ is staring bullets at me, his phone clutched in his hand and his jaw locked tight. He looks down at his phone long enough to send me another text.
TJ
Meet me in the back in five.
He wants to do this now ? Right in the middle of my date? Defiance mixes with the irritation in his dark eyes, a warning reflecting in them.
His next message tells me he’s not messing around.
TJ
Ignore me again. I fucking dare you.
“Is everything all right?” Aaron picks up on the anxious energy pervading the air.
I clear my throat, putting my phone down. “Don’t worry about it.”
He doesn’t seem satisfied with my response, but he doesn’t insist. We spend the next five minutes flipping through the menu, but all I can think about is meeting TJ “in the back.”
What does that even mean?
Does he want to meet in the bathroom?
In the dirty alley behind the restaurant?
Our waiter drops by to take our orders, and seconds after I’ve chosen my meal, I notice TJ telling his coworker something from the corner of my eye. Then he’s heading for the narrow corridor near the entrance.
That’s the way to the bathroom.
What do I do?
He made it clear I shouldn’t ignore him again.
I wait a few minutes before excusing myself to the bathroom. I don’t see a soul as I amble down the hallway. Three doors surround me. I assume TJ’s waiting for me behind one of them until a strong hand locks around my arm.
The next thing I know, I’m being pulled behind a door labeled “Employees Only.”