Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Alex

I MAKE IT THROUGH the week. Just.

"We're going out tonight," Mom announces.

"Out where?" It's Tripp Lake. There aren't all that many places to "go out" to. I really hope she's not thinking of heading all the way to Seattle. It's been a long week. I'd like nothing more than to cook dinner, clean up the dishes and go the hell to bed.

"Marty's, over in Brookspring."

"Brookspring is two towns over. Is that okay for Dad?"

Mom waves my question away. "He can go to a restaurant for a meal, Alexander. Get ready."

After all that happened in the past week, I'm far too tired to argue. Six days ago I kissed Henry. Four days ago I had sex with him on his couch. In between I somehow kept up with all of my parents' requests and questions, as well as every meeting and deliverable for work. I slouch upstairs and swap out the T-shirt I slept in for one that's cleaner. But when I hurry back down the stairs my mother scowls at me.

"That's what you're wearing?"

I glance down at my jeans and T-shirt. I'm not sure how much less offensive an outfit can be, but it's managed to earn her ire anyway.

"Yes?" I say.

"You don't have anything nicer?"

"Why would I need something nicer for Marty's? Isn't it a bar?" My memory of Marty's is crappy beer and greasy burgers.

My mother looks like she wants to send me back upstairs to change, but my father unexpectedly comes to my rescue.

"It's fine, Nancy. Let's just go. I'm starving. We'll be late."

Late? It sounds like they came up with this plan all of five minutes ago.

I don't get a chance to wonder about it until we're in the car and Dad is driving us out of town. He insists on doing that, which is annoying considering his recent health issues, but it does mean I can have a couple desperately needed beers with dinner.

We arrive at a squat brown square of a building. It only stands out thanks to the brightly lit sign sitting on the front of it. For all appearances, it could be a dive bar, but when we head inside there's a host waiting to seat us at one of the tables scattered throughout the honey-lit interior. Everything smells of spilled beer and old cigarettes. The bar is a U curled off to one side of the room, stools ringing it. The host seats us at a wooden booth at the opposite side of the room from the bar and leaves us with huge menus preserved in plastic sleeves.

After a few minutes, someone approaches the table. I scan the menu furiously, figuring it must be a server, but when I look up I find a woman…

"Ellie?" I say.

"Alex, hey."

She slides into the booth next to me, and my brain goes blank. I went to high school with this girl. I recognize her smile, her freckles, her long dark hair. She was cute back then. She's cute now too. But what the hell is she doing here? And why did she sit down with us like it's nothing?

"I'm so glad you could make it," Mom says.

"Sorry I'm a little late," Ellie says.

Mom waves a hand. "Oh no. We just got here. You're right on time."

I gape at the exchange, barely managing to keep my jaw from hanging open. She knew. Mom knew. She isn't surprised by this at all. Neither is Dad. Neither is Ellie. I am the only one at this table who didn't know this was happening.

They planned this.

Anger boils in my gut, hot enough to burn away the shock. I tamp it down only for Ellie's sake. Whatever's happening here, I'm sure it's not her fault.

"You're, um, you're in town," I say to Ellie. It might not be elegant, but I need information. I need to figure out what the hell this is.

"Yeah, I still live here," Ellie says. "But I was actually traveling around Europe until a few days ago. I just got back. Your parents were sweet enough to invite me out while you're here. Are you staying long?"

Hopefully not.

"No," I say.

"Maybe," my mother says.

Ellie's eyes flicker between us, and something around her mouth tightens. I watch the realization dawn slowly, horror creeping into her expression as she comes to the same conclusion I did: My parents are setting us up. My parents are setting up twenty-five-year-olds on a date without telling either the full story.

This is humiliating.

I manage to order something when the server arrives, but I barely remember what it is. It's one thing for my parents to do this kind of shit to me; Ellie is innocent. She shouldn't get sucked into their weird plans.

My parents chit chat with Ellie as plates heaped with burgers and fries arrive. I can hardly stomach what I'm sure is a perfectly adequate burger. The anger in my gut leaves no space for food.

"Alex is a lawyer," Dad says. It's the only time he's ever said that with pride, and I know it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Ellie.

Ellie looks at me, smiling politely. "That sounds exciting."

"It's not," I grumble.

"Alexander, don't be rude," Mom says.

They brag about my job, the very same job they've been complaining about all week. I grind my teeth and don't eat another bite. Ellie shifts awkwardly beside me, caught in the eye of this storm of awkward conversation.

The second our food is mostly done, I throw her — and myself — a lifeline.

"Can I get you a drink at the bar?" I say.

My parents perk up. I meet Ellie's eyes, raising my eyebrow as subtly as I can. Thank God, she takes the hint and accepts the invitation.

The moment we cross the room to claim two stools at the bar, I breathe a sigh of relief.

I order us both a beer. We clink them together when the bartender delivers them.

"Cheers," Ellie says.

"Cheers… And I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I had no idea. I never would have…"

Ellie interrupts me with a laugh. "I could tell. You looked like you got punched in the stomach when I showed up. It's alright. To tell you the truth, I sort of started texting a friend to come rescue me. He's going to ‘happen' to come here for a drink. I hope you don't mind."

"I absolutely don't mind. I'm sorry you got sucked into this."

Ellie turns her gaze away from me and smiles at her beer. "To tell you the truth, when your Mom called me and asked me if I wanted to get dinner with you, I thought it sounded nice. That's why I said yes."

I blink. This should be the moment when heat flushes through me, but instead I'm left with a cold shock of surprise. Ellie was popular in high school. Like, really popular. Way out of my league. She's still out of my league.

Ellie looks up at me from under her eyelashes. She leans a little closer. "Dinner was kind of awkward, I won't lie, but this part isn't so bad, right?"

She tips her drink toward me, and I numbly clink the neck of my beer against hers. "Yeah," I say, voice so hollow it could blow away on a breeze.

I should be shooting my shot. The woman beside me is stunning. Despite knowing I won't be staying here long, she's openly flirting with me now that we're away from my parents. This is a slam dunk. Easy. No fuss. So why am I holding back?

"Are you really a lawyer?" Ellie says.

"Yeah," I say, "but it's honestly not interesting at all. It kind of sucks."

She giggles, and I know I should be charmed. I know that. But I'm mostly cold. It's nothing to do with her. I think I'm mixed up over everything that happened with Henry this week. It has me turned around, confused, questioning everything I thought I knew about myself. My body doesn't know what to do with Ellie after how I reacted to Henry. Is it different? Is it the same? Those women in my past weren't some sort of sacrifice on my part. I definitely wanted them. I definitely felt attraction and romance and all the rest for them. Could I ever feel all those same things for a man?

I have no idea, and it's so confounding that I'm sitting here grimacing at a beautiful woman who obviously wants to flirt with me.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ellie asks, and I realize I've missed a chunk of conversation.

I physically shake my head at myself. "I'm so sorry. It's been a long couple weeks."

Ellie's eyes dart back toward the table where my parents sit. "I bet it has."

"This is all really shit for you," I say. "I promised you a drink and I can't even focus on it. I'm tired. It's not you."

Ellie's laughter is bright and easy. "I think I've heard that one before."

"Oh God. No, that's not what I meant."

"Relax, I know. I'm messing with you. Boy, they really are stressing you out, huh? How long until you escape?"

I sigh into my beer. "That's the thing, I don't know. It was going to be a week, but then Dad hurt himself, so they need help for longer."

"Hey, it's not your job to take care of them forever. You have your own life to live as well."

"Heh, yeah, well, try telling my mother that."

Ellie doesn't respond in soothing words this time. Instead, she sets her hand on my thigh.

I flinch before I can stop myself. Ellie withdraws her hand instantly.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't—" she says.

"No, it's not…"

Shit. I didn't mean to react like that. It happened before I could do anything about it.

"I'm really sorry," I say. "It's all the stress. I'm not…"

"Hey, it's okay," Ellie says. "I understand. You don't need to explain anything to me. I'm not going to leave here offended or anything."

I relax a tick, trying to smile at her. I never knew back in high school that she was this cool. Ellie was simply a distant hot girl to me.

"Thanks," I say. "Do you want another beer? Or you can escape. I'll tell my parents your kitchen flooded or something."

Ellie chuckles. "I'll take another beer, but how about I get it this time? Besides, I think my friend just got here, so I should grab one for him too."

Ellie looks past me, back toward the doors of the bar, and waves at someone heading inside. I swivel in my chair to follow her gaze, prepared to see some random guy I barely remember from high school.

Instead, I freeze where I sit.

Henry stops short inside the doors, but he doesn't look as surprised as he should. His eyes meet mine, and our secret flashes between us. Ellie doesn't know. My parents certainly don't know. But the closer Henry comes to the bar, the more that secret buzzes between us, electrifying the very air. He sits on the opposite side of Ellie, leaving her between us.

"Henry, this is Alex," Ellie says. "He went to our high school. I don't know if you two know each other or not."

"We've met," Henry says.

That's putting it mildly.