The traffic in town is hell. Everyone and their mother seems to be running some kind of errand today, and none of them can fucking drive. I pull down the next side street and try to loop around to cut off the traffic and get stuck behind a garbage truck. Because that's my luck. It's official, the world hates me.
I side-eye Mateo. I don't know how this is his fault, but it is.
"There aren't even pictures of you on Addie's InASnap," he says, holding up his phone.
"Because she respects my privacy." I sigh. "Listen, I'll do what I need to do for your socials, but absolutely no pictures of me or Coop."
"Aw, man, I planned on us taking so many selfies," he says. When I don't laugh, he continues. "Why?"
"My life is complicated enough. I don't need my business public."
"I promise I'll never post anything without your permission," he says. "But I can't control what other people do."
"Add that to my fucking list," I say under my breath.
One more reason to stay far away from him.
"What was that?" he asks.
"Nothing."
"Does this have anything to do with Cooper's dad?"
My spine stiffens, and I shoot daggers at him. "That, boss, is none of your business."
His blue eyes dim, and he mumbles something about rain, but there isn't a cloud in the sky.
Chapter eleven
Mateo
Jade's voice travels down the hall, and I'm hiding. It's not that I don't want to see her, it's that I've seen her too much. Perhaps hiring her wasn't the greatest move. I'm already enamored by her, now I've made it worse, and she's made it pretty clear she's not my biggest fan. I guess it's a good thing because Addie would never talk to me again. Not that she's talked to me much since I've been home. There's something up with her that I can't put my finger on.
I put my hiding to good use though and finish up some emails with my lawyer. Stuff that Jade can't help with. Like amendments to my will and finalizing details for charity projects among other things.
When I'm done, I pause outside my door, listening…but I don't hear her.
Dad and Cooper are in the kitchen chatting about how badly Dad did in the golf tournament, so I pull up a stool and makemyself known. It feels like I have to force myself to be seen lately. Is this what getting old feels like? I know I'm an adult, and have been for some time, but right now, my best friend is eight. I need to get out. Kyler finally texted me back yesterday, but it wasn't exactly a conversation starter, so I left him on read.
How does one respond to:Exhausting.
I'm exhausted too, exhausted from being bored out of my fucking mind. God, I'm pathetic.
"Earth to Mateo," Dad says.
"Hmm?"
"How's PT going?" he asks.
"Swimmingly," I say and turn to Coop. "Hey, what time does your mom get back from class?"
"I'm off the clock," Jade says from behind me. Guess she hadn't left yet.
I shift in my seat and find her staring at me, hands on hips. It makes me want to test all kinds of boundaries. Mine, not hers. Can I weather the storm?
"Figured we'd wait to have dinner, is all," I say, spinning back around to see Dad's eyebrows raised.
"Seven," Cooper says.
