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“I’ll see what I can do. See you at home, dumbass,” he tells Stanley and then glances at me. “You still owe me a drink, Bree.” He winks before he puts the glasses on and leaves the place the same way he entered it.
“He’s… quite something,” I mutter in disbelief.
“Yeah. Ryder’s like that,” Stanley agrees, shrugging. “I guess we need to wait.”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
We leave the shop together. However, we’re going in opposite directions. Stanley says a quick goodbye and starts walking away. A new impulse blooms in my chest.
“Hey, Stanley!” I yell his name before he disappears from my sight. He stops at the corner of the street and turns around. I catch up with him, so I don’t have to shout. “I’m going to talk to my cousin. I’ll see you tomorrow at the library. Seven o’clock sharp. Bring your assignments, and don’t be late, okay?”
With a happy smile, Stanley nods effusively. “Okay, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, Bree.”
Chapter Ten
My mother FaceTimes me when I’m getting ready to meet Bree at the library. Being the momma’s boy that I am, I drop everything to answer her call. Sitting down in the corner of my bed, I smile widely. Not going to lie, talking to my mother makes me happy.
It’s been a couple of days since we last spoke, and I feel like it has been an eternity.
I was raised close to my family, always being around them and sharing time with my parents. The time that I’m far from home tends to get hard sometimes. I only travel home during the holidays, which isn’t a lot of time. I only get to spend Christmas with them and a couple of weeks during summer. It’s the downside of playing a sport that requires warmer weather.
Sometimes I envy Ryder because he gets to see his parents weekly. I have to wait long months to get a couple of days with mine. It’s entirely out of our control, I’m aware of that, and I’m also aware that I’m away for my future. However, that doesn’t mean that I’m not allowed to get homesick every once in a while.
“Stan!” My mother’s melodic voice fills my ears, and happiness blooms in my chest.
Mom is smiling so wide you’d think she just won the lottery. That’s probably the main reason why I love her. She can make me feel better with her bright and contagious smile.
“Hi, mom. How are you?”
For a split second, her smile fades.
“I’m good.” But her somber tone says otherwise. She’s not carrying the same enthusiasm that she did before.
A wave of worry tackles me, tingling under my skin. My mother is a ball of energy. She’s always the loudest person in the room, and she wears a smile twenty-four-seven. The fact that she’s quieter makes me uneasy. My stomach turns into an uncomfortable knot.
“Did something happen?” I ask.
Mom tilts her head, and her teeth dig on her bottom lip. She only does that when she doesn’t know how to approach a subject. I know her that well.
“Your dad had a small accident a couple of days ago.”
My world shifts, and everything is a blur around me.
“What?” My voice is choked by anguish. “How? What happened? Is he okay? Why didn’t you tell me before?” Every question comes out quick and demanding, desperate.
I need to know that my dad is okay.A couple of days ago?There’s a spark of anger in my system. I was left in the dark for so long it’s unbelievable. What if it had been bad? Why couldn’t she tell me when it happened? Now more than ever, I hate being away from them. I’m helpless.
“He’s fine, Stan. Calm down,” she says in a sweet and soft tone. “He fell and cracked his collarbone. The doctors recommended that he rests for a couple of weeks.”
I understand now where her worry comes from: dad won’t be able to work. He’s a mechanic. It’s not like he works in an office and a calm environment. His job involves his body and his strength. The next couple of weeks are going to be tough for them.
“Do you need money?” I offer, concerned with the situation. “I don’t have much, but I have some savings. I can make a deposit and—”
“We’re okay,” mom interrupts me but stays in silence for a couple of seconds. That means that something more massive is coming my way. “Though we had to use the savings we had to cover part of the hospital bill. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we won’t be able to visit you on Thanksgiving.”
My heart drops to my feet. I was counting on their visit in less than two months. Hell, I was almost counting the days. We had it all planned out. They were going to be here for four days since Moss gave us half of the week off. I guess that sometimes things don’t go as we want them to.
“Don’t worry, mom,” I mumble, trying my best not to sound bumped out. “The important thing is that dad gets better.”
