“What should we watch?” she asks, grabbing the remote.
I hum thoughtfully. Aliyah and I are both horror fanatics. My birthday is the day before Halloween, so maybe I’ve always been drawn to spooky things. Stephen even let me watchTexas Chainsaw Massacrewith him when I was way too young—maybe six or seven years old—and I’ve been hooked on terrifying movies ever since.
After several minutes of bickering and scrolling through streaming services, we finally settle onThe Shining.
As the credits roll and the ominous music swells, a tingle of adrenaline runs through me. I prop my feet on her coffee table while Aliyah drapes a throw blanket over her lap.
“So…” Aliyah smirks, eyes glinting. “How are things going with Hunter?”
“Shut up. You always talk during movies,” I hiss, shooting her a glare.
She snorts. “It hasn’t even started yet.”
I groan around a mouthful of popcorn. “The opening scene is one of the best parts. It sets the tone for the whole movie.”
She sighs and hits pause. “Happy?”
“No.” I frown and shove another popped kernel into my mouth. “I’d rather watch the movie than talk about Hunter.”
Her eyes widen as she leans toward me. “Why? Did something bad happen?”
Dropping my head back against the couch, I exhale hard. “No! We’re fine. We’re great, actually.”
Aliyah narrows her eyes. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“I guess he’s… nice.”
“Nice?” she echoes, eyebrows arched. “That’s all you’ve got?”
Heat crawls up the back of my neck. “What do you want me to say?”
She tilts her head, studying me. “I just think maybe you’re lying to yourself. Are you sure you actuallywantto end things next month? Because from where I’m sitting, you look pretty damn happy.”
The air in my lungs turns brittle. “It doesn’t matter what I want,” I say quietly. “After summer ends, we’ll be living over two hundredmiles apart. He’ll be busy with grad school, and I’ll be busy raising a high schooler.” I let out a soft, nervous laugh. “God, it’s weird to even say that out loud. I still think of Maddie as a little kid.”
Aliyah snorts, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, that much is obvious.”
My lips press thin. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” She waves it off, reaching for the remote.
I clamp my hand on her wrist. “No. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Mason—”
“Aliyah.” My tone leaves no room for dodging.
She exhales heavily, biting the corner of her lip as if weighing her words. “Fine. You treat Maddie like she’s still a little kid. You never really consider her thoughts or opinions.”
My shoulders tense. “That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? Have you ever asked her what she wants? Like… if she wants a relationship with your dad?”
I swallow hard. “He’ll hurt her. I’m protecting her.”
“You don’t know that. I know he messed up in the past, but people change. Maybe he could be good for Maddie.”
A grimace twists on my lips. “That’s highly unlikely.”
