Page 31 of Love You Like This

She rolls her eyes and walks past me into the living room. “To make sure it was secure. I’m not really sure why you think you have any right to barge in here asking questions.” She narrows her eyes. “Why were you even driving by? There’s nothing up here but houses.”

My phone rings, and I glance down at it to see Dad’s name. “Hold on,” I tell her before answering.

“Hey.”

“I’m here, grabbed a table on the patio.”

“Perfect. I’m at Jade’s, so I’ll be a few minutes.”

“Oh. No problem. Why don’t you ask her to come if she doesn’t have plans.”

A slow smile creeps across my face. “Good idea. I’ll have her change clothes, and we’ll be there in a few.”

“Great. See you in a bit.”

I hang up the phone and smile at a still fuming Jade. “Get changed, you’re coming to dinner with Dad and me.”

“Was there a question in there?”

“Nope.” I plop down on her couch. “Better get going, Dad’s waiting.”

She groans and stomps off down the hall. “I fucking hate you.”

“Awww, Freckles, is that anyway to talk to me?”

She shoves her hand out of her bedroom doorway with her middle finger extended. I take advantage of the time she’s in her room changing to snoop around. Her living room is so homey. All her cream-colored furniture is soft and oversized. A bird of paradise almost fills the entire corner of the living room, reaching to the ceiling. Wood beams extend all along the open concept space.

Her kitchen is small but updated with sage green cabinets. A little two-person table is tucked in the corner by the french doors leading to her deck. More plants hang from the ceiling. All of them look so healthy I’m not sure if they’re even real. I don’t know how she keeps them like that while we’re on tour.

Her fridge is empty aside from a twelve pack of Diet Coke and limes when I open it. Guess who’s getting a grocery delivery tomorrow? I smile at the thought of her annoyed face when it shows up. There’s a box of cereal and some rice in the pantry. It’s so frustrating to see the care she has for the house not be carried over to herself.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Snooping.” I open some more cabinets just to piss her off. Her anger is better than indifference. “You have no food in this house.”

“I’ve been gone for two months.” She slams the cabinet I opened closed and elbows me in the stomach. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll drive.”

“We can drive separately that way you don’t have to back track.”

“No.” I take the keys from her hand and toss them onto the couch. “I said I’d drive.”

“You are so irritating, you know that?”

“I do.” I lean down to her. “The next time you need something done around the house, call me.”

“Do you even have a toolbox?”

“Yes.” Actually, I’m not sure, but if I don’t, I’ll get one.

She narrows her eyes, not believing me for a second. “I can’t believe you were stalking me like that. Driving by like an obsessed teenager.”

“And it’s a good thing I did because now we can all go to dinner together.”

“One big happy family.” Her voice drips with sarcasm.

“Please, I know you still talk to dad every week.”