He shrugs and I hear a grunt behind me—most likely Justin banging his head on the ceiling. Shay’s eyebrow rises, implying she heard it too. “I’ll be ready in a minute. I’d invite you in, but…well, it’s tiny in here.” I gesture to the chairs. “Feel free to wait out here.”
“Of course.”
I shoot Nick an undeserved glare and shut the door.
“Sorry, babe, I don’t go in until one today. I didn’t set my alarm,” Justin says, but I shush him to lower his voice.
“Look, that lady is in all of my business and I’m willing to do it for Mom, but I do not need her to know about you or anyone else.”
Quickly I wash my face and brush my teeth before securing my hair on top of my head. I reach for a sundress in the small, narrow closet. I strip off my pajamas and tug it over my head. I smooth it down and Justin moves behind me, zipping up the zipper. I feel his breath on my neck. “You’re keeping this secret from a lot of people, Summer. You think you can handle that?”
I spin and we’re face to face. I glance to the window that’s covered in a floral curtain and don’t respond, other than kissing him hard on the mouth. My heart hammers in my chest and I see a flare of want on his face. “Secrets are what this family does best, Justin. And oddly enough, we’re family now.”
I slip away, exiting the trailer and shutting the door before anyone can see him. I know Nick won’t be mad about this but the last thing I need is my worlds colliding in front of Shay. This interview is about my mother. Not me. And I plan to keep it that way.
36
Nick
Summerand I keep a wide distance on the ride around rural South Carolina with Shay. The reporter drove while I navigated. Summer settled herself in the back. None of this was a big deal, Summer’s allowed to have company—male company—at her home. She’s over eighteen, but I know she’s felt the pressure of visibility on her by living in such a small town. Having this reporter dig into her life is only making matters worse.
We stop at the county courthouse where we’d researched much of the case the year before. Shay wanted to stop in and get some input from the workers.
“I’ve had enough of the records room,” Summer says, waving her off. “Have fun.”
Once Shay’s inside the airconditioned building, I lean against the wall.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
I tilt my head, watching her twist her hair into a knot away from her neck. I reach out to grab a few tendrils but she swats my hand away. “Not in front of her.”
“She’s not here.”
Summer shoots me a glare. “She’s observant.”
“And what? She can’t know we’re friends? She’s a reporter. Seems like it’s better to be upfront.”
“Not with this. She’s got an angle I can’t quite figure out. I’m not even sure why she’s talking to me so much.”
I shrug. “Your mom’s out of town and she needs more information. I don’t think it’s unusual.” She fans herself and I can feel the stress coming off of her. “Listen, your mom will be home in a few days. We’ll have the party and everything will be done. We can hang the rest of the break.”
She nods. “I know you’re right. I’m just being weird.”
“Too much time in secret relationships—you’re getting paranoid.”
“Maybe there’s something wrong with me,” she says suddenly. “It’s like I can’t help but get myself into these situations. Hiding my relationships from everyone. Juggling secrets.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yeah, Nick. I do.” She sighs. “It’s not just that. I feel bad about you seeing me like that—knowing Justin was inside.”
I frown. “Why?”
“It just feels rude. Insensitive.”
I stretch my arm out on the wall, palm first, and hold her gaze. “Babe, this situation is wide open for all of us. We know. We’re good. You think we don’t talk? He told us he was going over last night.”
