Chapter 16

Liam

Emilia's shift ends at eight tonight, or around eight because if her customers are still eating she'll have to stay until they're done, but I get to Nico's at seven forty-five anyways. She said she could just text me before she clocked out since I only live about a five-minute drive from the restaurant but the thought of her waiting puts me off.

I know I have at least fifteen minutes to wait so I hop out of the jeep. It"s started getting cooler outside as autumn rolls in but the crispness of the air is refreshing. I lean against the passenger side door, since that's facing the restaurant and I'll be able to see her when she comes out. I pull out my phone and call my mom, who picks up on the second ring.

"Hi, sweetie." My mom sings over the phone, always excited to hear from her kids.

"Hey, mom. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm good. Dean, Eliza and I were just watching a show after dinner but she's up in her room now."

"How is Eliza? Is she liking her second year of college?" My younger sister is a sophomore at the community college near our home. The school itself resides only fifteen minutes from our home on the south shore. Eliza got really sick her last year of high school, we weren't sure what it was for almost a year. She had headaches, stomachaches, and intense bouts of anxiety and depression until she was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease. My mom was scared for her to live somewhere that's not at home especially while Eli focused on healing her body, Eli agreed to live at home. However, recently I know my sister has become a little stir crazy and is wanting a new experience.

"She's good. She likes it enough I guess." My mom sighs. I think she has an internal battle of keeping her baby safe, but also knowing she's meant for great things and that she can't keep her home forever.

"You know she could come visit here. She would like it. We'd keep her safe."

"I know you would honey. It's just hard to let her go." I nod to myself, I can't imagine how hard it is for her to watch her children grow and leave the house. My mom and I chat for a few minutes and then I notice Emilia exiting Nico's, and following right behind her is James. He leans down asking her something and she just shakes her head and points in my direction. He looks over to where I'm leaning against the Jeep and sends me a wave before hugging Emilia goodbye. He's never hugged her goodbye before. I can feel the a swift course of jealousy run through my veins. Emilia makes her way towards me and I realize I have no idea what my mom has been saying for the past sixty seconds.

"Hey, mom. I gotta go."

"Okay honey. I love you."

"I love you too."

Emilia finally reaches me, stopping a foot in front of me and looking up at me with a smile, "Hi."

"Hey." I smile back down at her, shoving my phone in my pocket. I open the door behind me for Emilia to get in and shut it carefully after she's buckling herself up. I jog around to the other side and climb into the driver"s seat.

"I hope you didn't wait too long for me." Emilia looks at me, soft smile on her lips.

"Nope." I look over at her, I know if I tell her I was here for fifteen minutes she'll feel terrible even though I would never mind waiting for her. "It gave me time to call my mom anyways."

"Oh, that's so nice." She's smiling at me as I put the car in drive. "Do you get to call her a lot?"

"Yeah, I try too." I peak over at Emilia who has her focus on the road now, a faraway look in her eyes. "Have you talked to your mom recently?" I chance the question. She hasn't mentioned her family at all since she opened up to me a month ago but I was hopeful that maybe her mom was doing better now and that they had a relationship.

"Uh, nope." Her voice sounds tense.

"Sorry, we don't have to talk about it." I speak up, I don't want her sharing anything she's not comfortable with.

"It's okay. We just don't talk often. I haven't seen her since last Christmas break." I'm not sure what to say to that. It doesn't seem like she's sad she hasn't seen her, but she also doesn't seem happy.

"Does she live far?"

"Not really. I grew up about an hour away. A little bit west of here." Emilia shrugs as we pull into the parking lot of The Burger Palace, our Wednesday tradition. When we arrive we're seated at our booth and Emilia immediately orders a chocolate milkshake, another tradition that she started after the first visit. After we place our orders for our burgers Emilia begins downing her chocolate milkshake like she's avoiding looking at me, I hope I didn't pry by asking about her mom. I'm about to apologize when she interrupts my thoughts.

"So, I'm going to be completing another item on my list this weekend." I swallow, hard. There's not much left on that list that doesn't involve another person, besides homecoming weekend but that's not for another two weeks.

"Yeah?"

"Yep." She pops the cherry from the whip cream on her milkshake into her mouth. "James asked me to go on a date this weekend."

"Oh wow, that's great." The way my hands clench into fists says otherwise. "What day?"

"Saturday." Her eyes finally meet mine with a small smile on her face. "We're going to the movies." Our food gets delivered to the table and of course it's by Vanessa who isn't even our waitress today. She places Emi's food in front of her and I don't miss the small smirk on her face before she turns to me with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Can I get you anything else?" Vanessa keeps her gaze on me but I keep mine on Emilia, whose eyes are throwing daggers at Vanessa. Is that jealousy? "Ahem." Vanessa clears her throat causing me to look at her.

"No, that"s all." Vanessa purses her lips, storming off because she didn't get the attention she wanted. "Anyways, the movies, that's good."

"Yeah." She sticks a fry into her mouth. Whatever emotion she was feeling just a minute ago, wiped away as she does a little happy dance in her seat. My girl loves her fries. Woah. Not my girl. "I suggested apple picking but apparently there's some new movie he wants to see." She says with a shrug.

What? She told him what she wanted to do and he completely ignored her? Why wouldn't he want to make her happy? My mind swirls through these questions for the rest of the night.