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“You want to leave?”
I shake my head and get out of the Jeep. Easton takes my hand as we walk to the door. The diner looks smaller for some reason, and more broken down. Maybe after living in Easton’s fancy house and fancy neighborhood, I’m seeing things differently now. Things that used to look okay now look old and in need of repair.
“Nova!” Mara runs up to me the moment I walk in the door. She hugs me, then stands back. “What happened? Where have you been?”
“It’s a long story. Sorry I didn’t call, but I had some stuff to work out.” I glance over at Easton. “You remember Easton, right? You met him before.”
“Yeah.” She smiles at Easton. “Hey.”
“Hey, Mara,” he says. He looks over at me. “I think I left something in the Jeep. I’ll be right back.”
He leaves, giving me time alone with Mara. That’s why he left. He didn’t forget anything in the Jeep.
“Come sit down,” Mara says, leading me to the counter.
The diner is mostly empty, with just an older man at a table and a younger couple in a booth.
“So are you two a thing now?” Mara asks as I sit down on one of the stools. She stands across from me behind the counter.
“I guess you could say that.”
“I knew it!” she says, a huge smile filling her face.” I could tell as soon as you walked in. You had that look of someone in love.” She runs around the counter and hugs me. “I’m so happy for you!”
“I’m not counting on it lasting. But right now, it’s really good, and if I only get a few months of this, it’s better than not having it at all.”
She pulls back, frowning. “What are you talking about?” She points outside. “That guy is crazy about you. He used to come here looking for you, practically begging you to talk to him. After all the times you told him to go away, I can’t believe he didn’t give up on you. Now that he finally has you, he’s not giving you up.”
“It’s more complicated than that. There’s a lot you don’t know.”
“So tell me.” She sits next to me.
“I can’t. You’re working. Lenny will fire you if he sees you out here talking to me.”
“Lenny isn’t here. He dropped one of those big cans of baked beans on his foot and broke it. He’s going to be out for a week, maybe longer.”
I laugh. “Were you here when it happened?”
“Yes.” She rolls her eyes. “He was such a baby. He screamed so loud you would’ve thought he was dying.” She looks back at me. “So tell me what happened. Why’d you disappear?”
“Ted died.”
She looks like she’s not sure if she should smile or look sad. “Um, sorry?”
“Yeah, it was kind of a shock. It happened on Thanksgiving.”
I tell her the story, leaving out the part about what happened when I was with my dad, and just telling her my dad and I didn’t get along so I left. I explain how I can’t live alone at 17 and wasn’t going back into foster care so Easton’s family invited me to stay with them. I don’t tell her they’re kicking me out. She might blame Easton for that, which isn’t fair. It’s not his fault.
“You’re living with your boyfriend? Already?” she says, teasing me. “That’s a big step. What’s next? An engagement?”
“No.” I laugh. “I just needed a place to stay until I save up money to move out.”
“Are you going to try to get your job back?”
“Not here, but I might try to get my job at the skating rink back. I liked Rod. He was nice, and the money was good.”
She looks to the side. “Damn, he’s hot. You did good, girl.”
I follow her gaze to Easton. He’s sitting in a booth, looking at his phone.
