Page 17

I’m stuck in place as this drop-dead gorgeous woman announces herself as Ruby’s mom. Nick’s ex. What the fuck?

He could have at least warned me that she would be here. Right?

But when Nick’s hand drops from my back, and I get a peek at his face and then at Ruby’s, it’s obvious they were equally ambushed.

What exactly is going on here?

Marielle, Nick’s sister, has her back to us, stirring and prodding at what’s on the stove. Did she see the accusation in Nick’s eyes? Is she behind this because she likes his ex better than the thought of him moving on?

There are too many questions that I just have to shut down if I want to survive through dinner.

Ruby carefully and slowly steps into her mother’s embrace, but she doesn’t look happy about it.

What’s going on there? I want to snatch her back, keep her away from this woman who has doused this entire room with tension.

It doesn’t seem to phase this woman. I wish I’d asked what ended her and Nick’s relationship. Why Ruby doesn’t live with her. She doesn’t seem to get her on the weekends either. It seemed like too personal of an ask at the time.

Now, I feel stupid for not prying more, especially before coming to a family dinner.

Nick seems frozen in place as his ex’s arms wrap around their daughter. He said they’ve only been divorced for about a year, so I’m just left wondering.

Ruby slinks out of her mother’s embrace and backs into Nick’s grasp. His hands are on her shoulders instantly, like instinct.

Mine are telling me to get the hell out of here, but I didn’t drive myself. And honestly, I don’t want to leave Ruby with this woman.

The standstill is broken by the front door opening. An elderly couple walks in with smiles, and I have to guess that these are Nick’s parents. Ruby runs to them, and they easily sweep her up in a big hug.

Normally, I would go introduce myself, but I stand back, finding a spot at the end of the counter—the farthest I can get from anyone else, and I ask Marielle if she needs any help.

She waves me off. “No. No. Don’t worry, I’ve got all this. It’s almost done anyway.”

When the parents walk in, their eyes sweep the room. Nick’s mom goes to hug Lisa, and his dad heads my way, holding out a hand. “You’re new.”

I smile as sweetly as I can manage. “Yes. I’m Olivia. Nick’s friend.”

His hand is warm and rough. This man is no stranger to hard work. It settles me a little.

“Hank, Nick and Marielle’s dad.”

“Hi, Hank. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You as well. How do you know Nick?”

“From the university. I’m working on my graduate degree, and he’s been helping me with my thesis experiment.”

Hank’s smile is warm, like his son’s, and he gives me a firm nod and grabs Nick by the shoulder for a good-hearted shake. “My boy is smart and likes to help. That’s for sure.”

“He has a big heart.” Nick’s mom saunters over with a sweet smile of her own. Her arms are open for a welcoming hug, and I’m genuinely baffled by the turn of events. She gives me a good squeeze. “I’m Evelyn. It’s so nice to meet you, Olivia.”

She holds me at arm’s length to look me over. “I love this color on you. Brings out the red in your hair and your freckles.”

“Thank you, Evelyn.”

“Everyone grab a plate. Food is ready.” Marielle waves for us all to help ourselves.

I wait, watching each of them fill their plates. Lisa helps herself first, taking such small amounts of the meat and vegetables, skimming around the starches.

Ruby hesitates, watching her mom, who has a hawk eye on what she grabs.

“Ruby. You don’t need any of that.” Lisa stalls her daughter as she puts a few tortellini on her plate. And she tuts when Ruby grabs one of the cheesecake bites I brought, but Ruby doesn’t put it back. She only takes the chocolate kind, even though I saw her eying the cherry flavor too.

I’m starting to see the problem. Ruby is thin. Athletic. Maybe she has an extra pound or two of weight that comes with teenage hormone fluctuations.

I catch Ruby’s eye as I pile food on my plate. Everything Lisa avoided, and I give her a wink. I can’t help it. Lisa’s views on food are exactly what I’ve been combating my entire life.

But the smug look Nick’s ex sends me has rage lining sweat along my neck under my hair.

I lift my chin and smile prettily back at her.

Nick pushes Ruby’s hair from her face and whispers to her before she goes off to sit down. He fills his plate mechanically, and it’s clear he’s shut down.

Seriously, what happened between these two?

I follow Ruby to the long table in the dining room and sit beside her as a show of support, but Lisa sits across from us.

Everyone else fills in the spots and leaves the one open seat beside Lisa, diagonal from me.

This feels like a setup. And I feel like an intruder.

Hank and Evelyn do their best to keep the chatter lively, and Marielle’s general attitude still seems off.

But Lisa…the comments she makes have me biting my lips. Because I want to demolish her.

They quickly transform from comments about how round her daughter’s cheeks are, the cut of her hair not framing her face right, how she should come with her mother to a decent stylist to get that fixed…to questions and thinly veiled insults about me and my appearance.

How sweet it is that you and Nick are close enough to come to family dinner.

You’re actually quite pretty for a big girl. I bet your cheekbones would be divine if you lost twenty or thirty pounds. At least the extra weight fills out that low-cut top of yours.

I’m surprised to hear you work in the same field as my husband—sorry, ex-husband. He works with athletes and coaches.

I don’t bother correcting or countering anything she says.

No one else stops her or calls out her behavior either. But you know what? I will gladly take the jabs if it means she leaves Ruby alone.

I simply relish eating everything she can’t with a placid smile on my face.

I’m still flabbergasted by Nick’s silence. He eats mechanically and won’t meet my eye, but his jaw jumps and his eye twitches every time Lisa opens her mouth.

Still, I remain quiet. Sit back. This is not my space. These are not my people. I have nothing to input here, even though it’s hard to remain quiet. Completely against my nature.

When Nick disappears during dessert, Lisa isn’t far behind him, and my stomach drops.

I want to give him the space to deal with this without complicating it. While he’s gone, I slip Ruby one of the cherry cheesecake bombs with another wink. And she smiles at me. It’s small, but it means a lot to me.

A reward for enduring the shit show this dinner has been.

Hank and Evelyn ask me about my experiment, and they don’t balk at my research topic. They seem most comfortable with me, but Marielle is eerily separate from our conversation, excusing herself to the kitchen to start cleaning up.

Nick has been gone for a while, and I really want to give him space, but Lisa has been gone nearly as long, and I’m growing a little concerned. A little…jealous?

We’re not anything more than friends right now. Okay, a little more than friends, but I’m not his girlfriend, so I don’t know how to respond to this.

His parents, though, are so completely reassuring, but none of this feels quite right.

I ask for the bathroom, and when I go, I spot Nick and Lisa in the crack of a bedroom door. He looks defeated, and I’ve never seen it on him before. It’s a bit scary.

Pausing to listen—because I really, really can’t help myself—I hear Lisa say, “Well, you’ve certainly moved on, but not up, if you’re dating that whale.”

I jerk at the derision in her tone. It’s been a while since I’ve had someone call me something so blatantly demeaning. I take a step back, slipping into the bathroom to keep my cover. I really don’t want to wait and see if he defends me or not.

Calling my bestie, Shawna, she picks up on the second ring. “Girl. What are you calling me for? Aren’t you at a family dinner with that guy you’re seeing?”

“Yes, and it’s a shit show. His ex-wife showed up.”

Her horrified gasp eases a bit of my panic from overreacting. “ No .”

“Yes. Can you come pick me up?”

“Uh. Of course, I can. Send me the address.”

“You’re the best. Thank you. I’ve got to go before my absence looks suspicious.”

“I’ve got you girl.”

Sending her a quick text with the address, I slink back to the kitchen, help clean up the remaining dishes, check on Ruby, and slowly slip out of the house without anyone noticing.

Shawna picks me up at the corner with my favorite specialty drink—an iced white mocha with extra caramel drizzle and sweet cold foam. A box of tissues sits in my seat too.

Wow, I love my bestie.