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I stare at them, and it takes a moment until it finally clicks from where I know them.
“Mary Sue?” The brunette’s smile grows bigger as I switch my attention from her to the blonde. “And Lauren?”
“And he remembers us! Oh my. And here I thought you’ve forgotten us now that you’re a star,” Mary Sue giggles, her hand brushing against my bicep.
“Hardly.” I force a smile out. “How are you two doing?”
“Oh, same ol’ same ol’. Nothing much changes around theseparts. Not like it does in a big city. The better question is, what brings you here?”
“Emmett’s wedding,” I comment, glancing over her shoulder.Where the hell did Mom disappear to?
“Right, he and Karmen are finally tying the knot?”
“Kate,” I correct, although I’m pretty sure she knows it. We all went to high school together, after all. It’s not like they got along well with Kate or Rebecca. Mary Sue and Lauren were on the cheerleading team, and there was always this weird animosity between the girls on the cheer team and everybody else. Most of them thought they had some kind of claim on the football guys, but that kind of thing never mattered to Emmett, or me for that matter.
“Silly me, I totally forgot. I can’t believe they’re still together.”
“Still going strong. No—”
Before I can finish, Lauren interrupts me. “What about you?” Those unnaturally long eyelashes bat in my direction. “Are you dating somebody right now?”
“I…”Shit, they’re not wasting any time, are they?“No, I’m focusing on football right now.”
Seriously, where is…
But it’s not my mother who catches my attention. It’s the woman standing with her.
Rebecca.
I watch a beaming smile appear on my mother’s lips when she notices her. Mom pulls Rebecca into a hug that she returns, her lips move, but I can’t decipher the words from this far back.
I come to a stop and just stare at the two of them. Over the years, I’ve seen Mom and Rebecca interact a hundred times, both in my house and outside of it, and yet, something about this whole situation didn’t sit well with me.
The two of them are still friends?
I don’t know why, but I hadn’t expected that to be the case, but apparently, I couldn’t be more wrong.
Rebecca must feel my gaze on her because she slowly looks over Mom’s shoulder, her lips parting as her eyes settle on mine, the surprise evident on her face. But then, her gaze moves to the side, and I can see her expression close off, her lips pressing in a tight line a second before fingers that are still holding onto me wrap around my arm.
“Miguel?”
Reluctantly, I shift my attention to the women next to me. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“I was wondering how long you’re staying here. Maybe we could catch up sometime. Hang out.”
“And how’d your husband feel about that, Lauren?”
The hair on my nape rises at the saccharine-sweet voice coming from behind me. I turn around to find Rebecca and Mom have joined us. Rebecca’s full attention is on Lauren, and I can’t help but notice the amused look on Mom’s face.
Seriously?
“Well, I-I…” Lauren tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks turned a beet red.
“They’re not together any longer, although I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” Mary Sue chimes in, glaring at Becky.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, Lauren,” Mom joins in. “That must be hard for you. Second marriage in the last few years.”
If possible, her cheeks turn even brighter. “Well, it is what it is. C’mon, Mary Sue. I just remembered what I forgot to buy.”
