AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The next morning,I watched out the window as a nice silver SUV pulled up in front of Zoe’s house and a man in tweed blazer got out. He had his hair gelled back and a disgruntled look on his face, like he’d been sucking on a lemon.
It had to be Desmond.
Zoe walked out and spoke with him, gesturing like she was trying to explain something, but Desmond just stood there, arms crossed, and said nothing.
Zoe scowled as she stepped back inside and returned with Rex, helping him into the car. I watched as they drove away, feeling every ounce of Zoe’s heartbreak. I watched her dissolve into angry tears as she trudged back inside.
Maybe she was right. I didn’t know how to handle this situation.
I could go over there and make sure she was all right, but once I got there, what would I say? I closed my blinds and stayed on my side of the wall; my quiet condo suddenly all too quiet. I sat down on the sofa, the one that everyone hated. I’d been looking around on furniture websites considering something to replace it with, but suddenly, this old sofa didn’t seem so bad. Plus, if I were sitting on it, I didn’t have to look at it.
The weekend rolled aroundand I found myself, once again, with nowhere to go. I’d learned my lesson texting Steph and Maya. Asking to hang out meant free childcare. Kieran was busy. So was Elias. I was even desperate enough to text Luke and Cindy, but they were out of town with something with Cindy’s work.
I was about to give up on my friends and go to Rook’s alone when I got a text from my youngest brother, Max.
Max: Hey, can you come to dinner at Mom’s house tonight?
Carter: Um… what?
Max: I need someone there.
Max: I can’t do this by myself.
Max had moved into our mom’s house to be closer to the girl he got pregnant. Life with Ramona Kane wasn’t easy, but he’d been having dinner with her most nights. Either Max had hit his breaking point or there was something different about tonight.
Max: Mom invited Holly. To bond. Please come. I need backup.
Max: Dinner with two women who hate me.
Max: Please.
Max and Holly weren’t exactly the best of friends. I had no idea how they were going to try and make co-parenting work when they could barely stand the sight of each other. It made me wonder why they ever thought hooking up was a good idea.
I sighed. Dinner with my mom, Max, and Holly sounded like torture, Then again, so did a Saturday alone when everything reminded me of the woman next door.
Carter: I’ll be there.
Max: Thank fuck.
Carter: It’s better than a night of eating cheese and candy by myself.
Max: What?
I looked over at the bag of Sour Patch Kids on my coffee table. The orange ones were all gone.
Carter: Never mind. I’ll be there at 7.
I found a clean shirt,bought a cherry pie at a bakery, and showed up at my mother’s house promptly at 7:03. I rang the doorbell and my mother let me inside, the familiar smell of Febreze and Lysol hitting me hard.
“Why didn’t you use your key, Carter?” she asked. No smile. No hug. That was just how she was. “Did you lose it?”
“I thought it would be rude to just let myself in, Ma. I don’t live here anymore.”
“Hm…”
I made my way to the dining room where Holly sat. Max stood at the stove, stirring a pot of chili.
“Do you like spicy?” he asked Holly.
