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“What about the picture?” she asks, looking confused.
“I’m sorry, Candis, but can it wait until tomorrow?” I say, placing a hand on her shoulder and pushing her away from me as she tries to come closer. “I’ll be here again, and you can take a picture with your phone.”
She looks at me with disappointment and brings her hands to her chest. “Did your girlfriend call and now you feel guilty?”
I snort and just wave her words away.
“She’s a friend. I wish she would turn into my girlfriend, but for now, she’s just a friend,” I say politely.
“Well, good luck with that,” Candis shrugs, giving me one last spiteful smile before leaving.
Kicked down by someone I wasn’t even interested in, I go back to my table with thumbs in my pockets. Dad and Terry concentrate on the game, still with the same beers. When I take my seat, hardly anyone notices.
“Emily called,” I say to dad, who immediately raises a hand to me.
“I wanna hear about it after the game, son,” he says, distracted. “Man, the Icehawks are garbage today!”
I nod and lean back and ask the waiter to bring me another beer.
As I sip it, I find I can’t really focus on the game. I’m feeling a mix of regret and guilt over what happened in the past, but more than anything, what I feel is hope.
I want to do whatever it takes to fix things with Emily, and I hope that she can forgive me.
Chapter Twelve
EMILY
Ipark the car in front of the last house on a dead-end street. It’s not the biggest of the lot, but it’s definitely the most imposing. It’s built on top of a small hill, with a stone pathway leading toward the front door.
“Is it here, mom?” Alissa asks behind me from her car seat.
“I think so.” I stop at the gate and roll down the window to buzz the intercom.
Andrew offered to pick us up, but I thought there would be far less drama if I just drove.
“Emily?” Andrew’s voice comes through the intercom.
“Yeah, it’s us.”
“One sec, I’ll buzz you in.” A moment later, the gates begin to open.
“Hey, Ali?” I look over my shoulder.
“What?”
“Behave, okay? Andrew is very important to Uncle Dan,” I say, misleading her and myself on who else he really is important to.
“I will behave, mom!” she exclaims, fed up with me and letting it show. I’ve been repeating myself the whole day now.
We drive up the hill, where Andrew waits with a broad smile and arms wide open.
“I was wondering if you’d really come or not.” He leans into my window. “And you must be Alissa.”
She shies away from him, and I have to step out of the car and take her out of the car seat before she’ll give him the time of day.
I hold her in one arm and tickle her stomach with my free hand. “You wanted to meet him. Why are you such a shy mouse now?”
“Oh, she likes tickles?” Andrew says, preparing his fingers for the attack. “You better watch out because I am the tickle monster!”
