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“I had a site meeting,” he says, which explains the suit and tie he’s wearing, “and, well, honestly? I was hoping you might be able to help me with something.”
My eyebrows raise up to my hairline in surprise. I can’t possibly think what he would want my help with, especially after how things between us were left. He wasn’t exactly pleasant with his words, and honestly, neither was I.
“You want my help?” I say with a bite and cringe a little as it comes out a little harsher than I intend it to.
“Thea,” Jude says quietly, “hear him out.”
Adam nods in Jude’s direction, signaling his gratitude for stepping in, and runs his hand through his hair. It’s a nervous tick he had years ago when we first started dating, and I’m hit with an odd sense of nostalgia. No matter how things ended between us, we were once a good couple together, we loved each other, and I owe it to him to listen to what he has to say.
“Actually,” Adam continues, “it’s more a favor to all of us, my mom and dad too. Thing is, we found out recently Austin has a child. You may remember dad made a flippant remark at Thanksgiving dinner, but none of us—well I—didn’t take him seriously and thought he was just being his usual crass self. Turns out, it’s true. Austin had a relationship with a girl from out of town and she ended up pregnant just before he got sentenced. With his parole hearing coming up soon, we, or rather his lawyer, is trying to get all the information he needs to present a favorable case to the parole board, and that includes portraying Austin as a family man, one who is regretful for all the time he’s missed out. His lawyer has managed to set up a meeting with the mother and thinks it would be a good idea to have a female presence there, instead of three men. You know, to make her feel a little more at ease?”
I exhale slowly but am a little bewildered by everything Adam is telling us. My mind is still caught up on the fact Austin has a child. Even so, I let Adam continue.
“My mom . . . she’s so conflicted and overwhelmed by everything. You know yourself she took Austin’s sentencing badly, because of the bad name it gave the family. As much as she wants to, she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to attend the meeting because she doesn’t want to get over-emotional and have to start depending on the antidepressants again. You know how bad she was after the sentencing. And honestly we really need for this meeting to go well and for Austin to be in with a chance.”
Slowly, the pieces start to fall into place, and I realize what Adam wants my help with before the words come out of his mouth.
“So, let me guess, you want me to go to this meeting with you?” I question and am met with Adam’s nod.
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t so important for Austin. And I know things between us ended badly and I’m regretful for that. But, please Thea, you’ll be really helping us out. It’s only for this one initial meeting so we can get to know her, and her us.”
“Isn’t there a social worker or someone who would do this kind of thing?”
“We’re trying to keep this between families, so as not to scare her away. We don’t want her to think we’re going to take her child away from her, because we’re not. It’s just for the sake of Austin’s parole.”
Hesitating, I glance at Jude to see if I can get an indication of how he feels about this, but all he gives me is a tiny shrug of his shoulders. He’s probably as shocked as I am by Adam’s revelations.
But he still comes to my aide and asks, “When’s the meeting?”
“This Sunday morning,” Adam tells us. Immediately I know I can’t help him, even if I wanted to, because Lacey’s birthday party is on Sunday and there is no way on earth I’m letting her, nor her uncle, down by not attending.
“I’m sorry, Adam, I’ve got something on this Sunday, and I can’t change it,” I tell him honestly.
“Please Thea,” he asks again, “It’ll only be for thirty minutes. An hour tops. And it’s taking place here, so you won’t have to travel back to Silver Lake.”
“Can you do both?” Jude asks me and this time I find myself silently cursing him for interfering. He knows I’m going to Lacey’s party, and he also knows it doesn’t start until after lunchtime, which would give me enough time to go to this meeting in the morning and be back for the party in the afternoon. The soft spot he used to have for Adam is clearly starting to rear its head again.
“I promise you,” Adam says, “I can have you back here in time for whatever it is you need to go to.”
I sigh as I toy with the strap on my purse, wondering how I’m going to broach this subject with Kyler. Eventually I look back to Adam and seeing a glimpse of the boy I fell in love with all those years ago has my resolve slipping. “Look, I can’t give you a definite yes or no now. I need to check some timings first. Can I let you know?”
Adam breathes a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging from the tension I hadn’t realized was there. “Yes, of course, that would be great, thanks, Thea. I’ve changed my number; hand me your phone and I’ll update my details.”
I watch as Adam quickly updates his contact details and gives the phone back to me. “So, you’ll let me know if you can make it?”
I nod. “I’ll be in touch.”
With a quick “thank you” Adam says his goodbyes and leaves Jude and I with our thoughts and our lukewarm drinks.
“What are you going to do?” Jude finally asks me the question I assume was on the tip of his tongue.
“Speak to Kyler, I guess.”
It turns out, Kyler is more amenable to the meeting than I am, which shocks the hell out of me. He tells me if it was the other way around, and he was asked to go to a meeting with Lacey’s dad because it would help Ally out, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Sure, he’s not too happy with the fact Adam will be picking me up, but he knows where my loyalties lie and nothing will happen. Besides, I highly doubt Adam will do anything untoward which will lose Austin any chance he has of being granted parole. I send Adam a text letting me know I’ll attend, and he replies with a “thank you” and a smiling emoji and confirms he’ll pick me up on Sunday morning at nine a.m. The meeting is at nine-thirty a.m. and so I’ll be back in good enough time for the party.
Ky is extra attentive at night and takes his time as he lavishes kiss after kiss on my body. He brings me to a precipice multiple times before bringing me back from the edge, denying me the chance to fall off into the abyss of ecstasy. When he does finally let me lose control, it’s in tandem with his own shouts of desire and we cling to each other as we float back down to earth. We’re yet to say those three words, but I feel it in every touch, every kiss, and every whispered word.
* * *
