Page 85

“Mom. Did you two fight?” She’d obviously been thinking about it all day.

“No, we didn’t. I was being nice.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Let’s get food,” I said.

“I’m going to find something to drink,” Zoey said, and she left me there with Chad. I watched her go, my hope that this party would cheer her up gone.

“What was that about?” Chad asked.

Despite how open I’d been with Asher lately, I was still a very private person with most. “Mommy issues,” I joked, trying to shake off Zoey’s questions. I knew she was struggling with what our mom had done and I completely understood. I tried not to take it personally. “Point me to the barbecue.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out. It was a text from Asher that read:Good?

Not really,I texted back.

So you put it back?

What? Oh! I’d sent him that text about stealing my mom’s wedding DVD.

“Asher?” Chad asked as we walked.

“Yeah, sorry.” I was being rude. I sent a quick,No. Talk later?to Asher and tucked my phone away.

We passed a pool where some people were swimming, but most were just sitting with their feet in the water and sipping on drinks.

“Oh hey!” someone said as we passed. “It’s you.”

“Who’s that?” I asked.

Chad shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe I met them last summer or something.”

“Chad, too hot to remember people,” I teased.

“You think I’m hot?”

I laughed. “Don’t pretend you don’t know that.” It was so much easier to talk to someone once you weren’t interested in them anymore.

“I mean, I thought I did. And then…”

“Bam. I have a boyfriend?”

“Exactly,” he said.

“You were taking too long.”

He chuckled. “I’ll have to remember that next time.”

“Seriously, if you want something, go for it.”

His hand brushed mine.

I increased the distance between us. “I meannexttime you want something.”

“Right,” he said.

We reached the food table and I picked up a plate. I surveyed the spread—fruit, chips, veggies, potato salad, and a big platter of barbecued meat. I hadn’t eaten all day, but I wasn’t feeling especially hungry. I filled up my plate anyway alongside Chad.