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“I would like to point out that even though you all thought my ad was anal, I got someone.” I motion toward Van.
“Okay.” She seals up the grapes and grows serious when she looks at me. “Brin, may I have a word? You’ll excuse us, Van, won’t you? It’ll only be a moment.” She’s surprisingly polite.
“Sure, I’ll go in and start shopping.” Van turns toward me. “Anything you’re allergic to?”
I shake my head.
“I’ll see you in there.” He turns toward my mom. “It was very nice meeting you, Mrs. Kelly.” He puts his hand out between them and she shakes it.
“Please, call me Savannah. Welcome to Lake Starlight.”
Van beams, showing off his white teeth and my lips tilt up until I look at my mom and my small smile drops.
As he walks through the doors, my mom heads to her SUV, popping open the back door. “Tell me what is going on.”
I stuff my hands in my pockets. “I told you. He’s my roommate.”
“And?” She places a few bags in the back.
“And nothing. He’s renting Calista’s old room, that’s all.”
She nods, straightens, and closes the back of her SUV. “We don’t know anything about him.”
“First of all, you don’t need to know anything about him. He’s nice. And besides, Rylan talked to him.”
Her head rears back. “Did he?”
I nod. “I picked him and Calista up from the airport. Van arrived while they were there. So… as embarrassing as it was, Calista made Rylan give him a talk about how to treat me.” I chuckle, but she doesn’t.
Instead, she takes my hands. I stare at her perfectly manicured nails and soft hands. I’ve always wanted to be like her, but can’t help but feel as though I’m always just shy of her level of perfectionism.
“Your dad isn’t going to like this. He didn’t like seeing you with him on the sidewalk the other day, and now when he finds out the two of you are living together—” She winces.
“We’re roommates, not lovers living together.”
Her gaze veers to the grocery store and back to me. “That man isn’t going to stay platonic for long.”
“You’re stereotyping him. You’re stereotyping a man who looks just like Dad.”
She sighs because she has no rebuttal. “I knew your dad my entire life.”
“So what?” I shrug.
“I just want to make sure you’re ready for someone like him.”
“What does that mean?” My voice grows louder.
A few people heading to their cars turn around. My mom tugs on my arm to situate us on the other side of her SUV, blocking us from staring eyes.
“We don’t know anything about his family. What kind of guy is he? Why’s he in Lake Starlight? And the thought of you sleeping in the room next to him…” She blows out a breath. “You’re just so fragile.”
I rip my hands from hers. “I am not fragile,” I say through clenched teeth. “I can handle myself. He passed all the background checks. I need a roommate and he needs an apartment. You and Dad wanted me to move on, and I am.”
Her head rears back as if I slapped her. “Brinley,” she says with her last thread of patience. My mom is used to getting what she wants. I turn to walk away, but she grabs my arm. “What is with you?”
“Everyone treats me with kid gloves. And yes, I’m not entirely comfortable with it because I’ve never lived with a man other than our family members and Sawyer, but I’m doing it because I need a roommate and I need to move on at some point. I am not fragile.”
My mom’s hand drops. “Sweetie, you don’t have to live with a strange man to show everyone you’re moving on. Let your dad handle this. You can come home and live with us while Van stays at the apartment.”
