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chapter nine

“The only true way to gain the upper hand — is to take it. I mean, that’s what hands are for, right? Taking? Shaking? What the hell have you been doing the whole time? Oh I see, you were waiting for an invitation, weren’t you? Sigh.

~From Max Emory’s Guide to Dating and Other Important Life Lessons

Maddy

“Hey.” I walked into the kitchen where my mom was currently baking bread and humming to herself.

Her hair had streaks of grey through the blond, giving it a silver hue when she moved into the light. Her lips pressed against each other then rubbed as if she was trying to figure out a problem, all before she dumped more flour onto the dough she was kneading.

“Is Dad home yet?”

“Working late again,” Mom said without looking up from her masterpiece. “We’ll just eat later, okay?”

I gave her a silent nod.

Then exhaled.

Then did it again.

Until, finally, she glanced up at me and smiled. “Did you need something else?”

“I saw Jason Caro.”

“You mean, last night?” She stopped kneading altogether.

I had her full attention, probably because Jason had been like a son to her. When I left him, a part of her had broken too, because I was choosing the opposite of what she, and the rest of the town, had planned.

Yet another reason to run.

When you weren’t in control of your own life, it seemed like the safer option to run in the opposite direction of what was killing you — and pray it wasn’t too late to be saved.

“This morning…” I stared at the little specks of flour, wondering how long it would take to count them, and if it would calm me down more than the nice long jog I had planned before work. “…at the police station.”

“Why were you at the police station?”

“We had weird signs in our yard, and it’s been on the news that you need to report them. Some sort of stupid high school prank. I thought I was just dropping them off and then found out he’s heading the whole thing and…” One thing led to another, he hates me, ignored me for the most part, and looks like a sex god. No big deal. “…anyway, I saw him. That’s all.”

“I see.” She rounded the table and crossed her arms. “Do you still have… feelings for him?”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom, it was over ten years ago.”

“Right.” She winked. “Oh, and this came in the mail for you. You should go.”

I knew what it was.

I’d been getting them every month leading up to July.

High School Reunion Weekend. Starting the very next day. They even had a Slip N Slide.

Hard pass.

The last thing I wanted to do was go to my reunion a total failure, while everyone else had a house, new cars — families to call their own.

A giggle hit my ears and then another, as the back door opened, and Anabelle ran through. “You’re home!”

I gathered her into my arms and kissed the top of her curly head. “Of course, I couldn’t miss out on the water gun fight!