AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m quick to drop the picture, fleeing from his room and back out onto the hallway. A sense of relief washes over my chest when I see that he’s completely out of sight. “Yeah?” I call back down, suppressing the anxiety in my tone.
“Do you need all of these bags brought up?”
“Um…if you can…” I gently stretch my arm over to close the bedroom door to its original position, standing up tall as I watch him make his way up the staircase.
He pauses in a huff, meeting my eyes. “Is there a dead body in here or something? This weighs a ton.”
I roll my eyes, placing my hands on either hips. “Gross, no. But the real question is, is there a ‘future football star’ inthere?” I gesture towards his childhood bedroom.
He paces his way over, pulling the luggage in from behind him, staring at the sign before a faint smile falls along his cheeks. “The sign wasn’t wrong.”
Helen, yet again, has impeccable timing as she shouts up for us. “Warren, Delaney! I’m gonna order takeaway. What do you want?”
I rub behind my neck, craning it to the side. “Takeaway?” I repeat the word in question.
Warren runs his thumb along his lower lip. “You’ve still got a lot to learn, don’t you?”
Oh…you have no idea.
SEVENTEEN
W A R R E N
“So, tell me.”I’ve hardly been able to sit down and take a few sips of my coffee before Mum’s quick to jump into a series of questions. She couldn’t care less that it's the first thing in the morning as she sits with her hands propped up against her face, eagerly waiting for my response. “How’s the team?”
“Good,” I respond, given that the team is doing well so far this season. Sure, we’ve lost some matches here and there, but our ratio to winning and losing has substantially been in our favor.
“How’s the boys?” she opts for next.
“Great.” I use yet another simple word that perfectly encompasses their well-being.
“Well, how are you?” She tilts her head in thought, that concerned Mum look in her eyes.
“Fine.” I bring my coffee cup to my lips, taking a sip. It’s hard to describe how I’m feeling these days—it changes each second.
She leans back in a huff, visibly fed up. “Are you going to respond to every question with one syllable?” she asks.
“Maybe,” I smirk, realizing that I’m already due for a refill on my coffee as I push back from the table and stand up. “That wastwo.”
I see her roll her eyes before I’m back in the kitchen, reaching for the coffee pot.
“What made you bring Delaney here?” I hear her call out from the dining room as I’m mid-pour.
I swallow at the mention of her, realizing that all night we achingly slept beside each other—a wall between us, mind you, but I hadn’t realized just how tortuous that would feel.
The coffee that’s overflowing from my mug and spilling all over the counter is the only thing that snaps me out of that thought as I jump back, rushing to grab a dishcloth. “Christ.”
Mum beats me to it, handing me one from behind her as she leans up against the countertop. “Thought you wouldn’t be able to answer that with one syllable.” There’s a glimmer of trouble in her eyes.
“What are you trying to get at here?” I’m hardly inclined to entertain the conversation, rubbing the counter spotless, regardless of the fact that there isn’t a single drop of coffee left.
“She’s beautiful, you know.” Mum fiddles with her robe, folding it across her chest in a comforting motion. “She’s exactly the kind of girl I hoped you would end up with.”
“Mum—”
“Ah!” She’s raising a finger ahead of me before I can even dispute the thought. Although, I can admit that there’s nothing to debate here. Delaney is beautiful. More than beautiful. “You don’t need to say a thing.” Mum takes a final sip of her tea before placing her cup into the sink, taking slow strides in my direction and adjusting the neck of my sweater. “You’re over thirty years old, and you’ve never brought a girl here, have you, Warren?” She meets my eyes. My lack of response seems to confirm her thoughts as she shoots me an affirming nod. “That tells me everything I need to know.”
Mum’s always been one to draw on the facts—it’s what I love and dislike most about her. She says it how it is and doesn’t holdback. My fear is that she’ll say these things to the wrong person…the only one I don’t want to hear them.
