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I’m sorry, Theresa mouthed as we went past her.
I shrugged. A movie was a movie to me. I knew Scout wouldn’t be talking. I took the seat by the stairs.
An hour in, I had no idea what was happening in the movie, so I didn’t feel a bit bad about hauling butt out of there. The lobby was quiet despite the steady flow of people coming in for other movies. I grabbed a water and went to sit at a corner table. They had a few set up on the far side of the theater. It was a great people-watching perch which is why I saw Scout heading out not long after me.
He dipped into the bathroom before coming to stand at the end of my table instead of heading back into the theater.
I cupped my water protectively. “If you dare try to drink this, I will bite your hand. I have rabies.”
He smirked and went to the concessions, returning with a black coffee. He slid into the seat across from me, moving so he had his back against the wall and he could people-watch with me.
“Coffee?”
He shrugged, glancing down the hallway before answering. “There’s nothing healthy over there. I’m tired. Figured caffeine’s not the worst choice.” He lifted his eyes my way. “You’re out here because of your mom?”
I shrugged, looking away. “I like watching movies with my mom.”
“Even though all of us are here too?”
My throat tightened. “She’d go with my friends and me back in Cedra Valley. It was fun. I’ve never been the daughter embarrassed of her parents. I love my parents.” The tightening got worse. “And you know I don’t get a lot of time with her.”
I could feel him watching me steadily.
I didn’t used to like it. I was accepting it now.
He turned to face me, his back going to the hallway leading to our theater. “Something’s going on with your aunt.”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “Been around their house lately, picked up on some tension.”
The affair.
Which I’d forgotten about.
Which I’d known about for how long and hadn’t told my cousins?
Which . . . Aunt Ailes asked me not to so she could, but she hadn’t.
Shit.
“I’m seeing I’m right.” He’d been studying my face.
My gaze snapped to his. “Don’t say—” Crap. Alex was his best friend. “I—Aunt Aileen told me she was going to tell them.”
“Guessing whatever it is or was, she hasn’t.” His eyes were narrowed, intent on me. “What is it? Your uncle cheated?”
My eyes bulged out. “How did you—” I sucked in my breath and pushed back in my chair. “Don’t say anything.”
He laughed. “You and me? My being inside you? That’s business a best friend has to say, but the uncle being inside someone not your aunt, not my business to share. Now if that shit was still going on, I’d have to say something. It ended?”
“That’s what I was told. Also, can you be more crude?”
“Yeah. Do you want me to be?” He was serious.
“No! Jesus.”
Another shrug before he scooted back so he could see the hallway again. “So that’s why you’re out here?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know.”
His eyes slid sideways so he could see me. “What is it then?”
I moved in my seat, adjusting. “It’s none of your business.”
His eyes went flat. “Right. Back to that.”
Guilt flared in my gut. “I haven’t—ugh. Okay. I’ve not been letting myself think about my dad. When I have, it’s just in facts. Max killed him. He’s gone. Those are facts. That’s how I’ve been processing his death, but today . . .” A burning started in my chest. “Today, I thought about him. I thought to him, if that makes sense? We were shopping for dresses, and I had a fleeting thought about what he would think of this dress Alred picked out for me. It was so skimpy and very red, which is not the pastel theme we’re doing, but I laughed and thought my dad would have some joke to say about it. Then I remembered, and . . .” My throat was back to tightening. “It went from there. I had a whole conversation in my head, to him.”
“That’s cool.”
Was he being serious or making fun of me?
“What?” he asked with a shrug. “That’s normal. Your dad’s gone. Your piece-of-shit, abuser ex took him away from you. Think it’s normal to be doing that.”
“Doing what?” I was cautious in asking.
“Doing whatever. That’s grief. Don’t think there’s a manual on how to grieve. Do it in the way that works for you.”
I was a little surprised. “That’s kinda mature of you.”
He smirked. “That must be why you like my dick. I’m mature.”
“Well, you’re being a dick right now.”
“See. It goes back to my cock.”
I rolled my eyes and grinned a little. In his weird way, Scout helped.
“Think we should go back?” I asked.
