Page 18 of Something Like That

Oh, shit. “The police?”

Alex finally looked at him, and man was it hot when she was fired up. Her cheeks were flushed, but it was a slightly different pattern across her skin then when she was embarrassed. Anger sparked in her eyes, giving them a frosty undertone. “Turns out the school had a silent alarm system that the girls tripped while trying to break in.”

“We weren’t breaking in, Mother.” Em’s voice was all defensiveness. She slipped her hair over her shoulder. He was waiting for her to stick her nose in the air and give a sniff, but she didn’t. Which was probably a good thing, because Alex looked like she was currently teetering on the edge.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Emily Jane Dumont, or I swear to high heaven, being grounded will be the least of your worries.”

Em had the good sense to lower her gaze and tuck her chin into her chest. “I’m sorry.” The words were awfully mumbled, and he barely heard them, but Alex obviously had, because some of the tension in her shoulders eased.

The whole exchange fascinated him. He didn’t know if it was because it was between mother and daughter—he only had a brother, so had never seen this mother/daughter dynamic play out before—or because it was so different than any of his interactions with his parents.

“Anyway,” Alex turned back to him. “I get this call at about nine o’clock from the police, telling me that Em, who was supposed to be at a sleepover, had been taken to the hospital.”

She was playing it cool, but the sliver of terror in her gaze told him all he needed to know. That night was still a very painful, fear-soaked memory. He couldn’t imagine all of the terrible things that had probably raced through her mind. He had no idea how he would react to a call like that.

Em slumped in the booth, her arms crossed over her chest. She kept her gaze locked out the diner window. “It’s not that big a deal.”

Alex sucked in a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what she was going to do or say. This was obviously still a very touchy subject between the two of them. And he really shouldn’t be so interested in the story, or fascinated by their relationship. His relationship with his dad had been all about hockey and winning and pushing Nick to be the best. His relationship with his mother was non-existent.

And then, Alex visibly let it all go. Her shoulders relaxed, her jaw unclenched and she blew out a quiet breath. She lifted her gaze to his and scrunched up one side of her mouth in a bit of an apologetic look. “Sorry about that.”

He was saved from having to say anything by Angie returning with their drinks. She placed his water in front of him, the ice cubes clinking against the glass, and slid Em’s milkshake along the table toward her. For some stupid reason, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the fancy glass. When was the last time he’d had a milkshake? Jesus, he couldn’t even remember.

And why was he losing his shit over a milkshake?

Shaking his head, he took a big gulp of water. The icy cold burned his throat.

“Food will be out in a minute.” Angie flashed them a smile and hurried off.

An awkward silence wrapped around them, making him feel jumpy and unsettled. Em sipped her milkshake, staring out the window. Alex twirled her straw in her diet soda, watching it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. He couldn’t take it any longer.

“So, what’s fun to do around here?” He took another sip of water, glancing between the two of them. “I’ve been here for a while and have pretty much seen nothing but the inside of my hotel room.”

Alex looked up like he’d startled her. Had she forgotten he was there? And why did that bug him so much?

“Have you ever been to Seattle before?” She took a sip of her soda. He couldn’t look away from her mouth. The way her lips wrapped around the straw. What the hell was he doing?

He shook his head, both in answer to her question and to hopefully kick start his brain back into focus. “No, this is my first time here.”

“Well, you definitely have to go to the market.” Em, who’d turned back to face them at his question, was now back to her bubbly, excited self. Man, was he ever going to get used to the mood swings of a teenage girl?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. That was a way too permanent thought. Yeah, he liked Em. She was awesome and everything, for a kid, but this was temporary. There was no point in making deep connections because they wouldn’t matter after he left. He was being fucking ridiculous.

“The market?” He took another sip of his water and focused on Em.

She nodded, although he wasn’t sure why, since he hadn’t asked a yes or no question. “Pike Place. It’s really cool. A little touristy, but still fun. My friends and I sometimes go there on the weekend. There’s lots of little shops and stuff.”

Angie returned with their food. Em’s fish and chips smelled incredible. All greasy and delicious. She slid his salad, a plate of steamed broccoli and carrots, and the carbonara in front of him. His stomach made another small rumble. It smelled delicious, too. The salad was nothing but a plate of iceberg lettuce with a few cherry tomatoes and some half-moons of cucumber tossed in it, but that was okay. It was food and he was starving.

He unrolled the silverware from the paper napkin and placed the napkin over his lap—something he totally wouldn’t have done if he was alone—and drizzled a bit of the dressing over the lettuce. Ranch dressing was one of the things he allowed himself, but he had to use it sparingly. Who knew salad dressing could be a vice?

Although it was nothing special to look at, the vegetables were fresh and crisp. He was so hungry, he practically inhaled it.

Em and Alex ate a less ridiculous pace, although neither of them mentioned his hoover like tendencies. Now that the edge had been shaved off his appetite, he slid the salad plate to the side and moved onto the veggies and his entree.

“Do you want to go sometime? I mean, we could go and I could show you around or something.”

He looked up at Em at the question. It took a second for him to realize she was still having their previous conversation.