Page 11 of Goldilocks

“I’m sure you didn’t.”

Guilt flashed to anger. “But I’mnotsorry for standing up for you,” she snapped.

Sam looked sideways at her. “He doesn’t bother me, Mary.” Why couldn’t she get that? Why, after years of dealing with this, did she not get that engaging was not what Sam wanted?

“They pick on you, harass you, bully you—”

“Mary, they’re idiots. Fionn is an idiot. Nothing he says can hurt me,” Sam interrupted. It wasn’t exactly true, but Sam willed it to be. He wouldn’t give weight to someone’s words when he didn’t respect them.

“You need to stand up for yourself.”

“Not like this, Mary. Now I’ll have to worry that I’m going to get sucker punched every time I see them,” Sam said. “Not to mention the fact that Fionn is loaded and could turn around and press charges on you.”

“Oh, forwhat?”

“Assault.”

“It was a slap. Hardly assault.”

“Assault, Mary. He could turn around and charge you, and there’s a cafe full of people here to be witnesses for him.”There were only a few other people, but that wasn’t the point.

Mary stood up abruptly, chair legs screeching against the ground. “You know what? I think you could use some air to calm down.”

Sam watched her storm away, scowling.Hewasn’t the one who’d lost his cool. He didn’t need to calm down.

Chapter Four

Eric cleared his throat. “Should I get the food to go? Are you finished with classes for the day? I can drive while you eat?” he offered. He sounded hesitant. Unsure.

Sam pictured the last ten minutes through Eric’s eyes and found himself nodding. “That would be great. I just need to pick up food for Dad, but my classes are finished.”

Outside, it was still bright, the sun shining in a cloudless sky. This time of year, clear skies were a double-edged sword; you got the sun, sure, but it came with bitter cold. Sam walked briskly to keep warm. Mary dominated his thoughts. Her fiery nature frustrated him to no end, but it was hard to stay angry when he knew it was her frustration with him that sparked it.

“Can I check out the boat? See your paintings?” Eric asked.

“If you want.”

Eric nodded to himself, but his gaze fixed on Sam’s uneven stride. “Your leg got hurt?”

A muscle in his hip pinched with each stretched step. “A bit.”

They reached his car, luckily parked on campus since he’d arrived early enough to find a spot. As Sam clicked open the lock, he peeked inside the back seat and was satisfied to see that everything was tidy; he made an effort to keep the car equipment free. As he opened the door, he smelled the clean cotton air freshener clipped into the vent, not fish. There was still an undercurrent of brine, but Sam didn’t mind that at all. Sam hadn’t been the passenger in this car in years, but it was oddly familiar to see Eric occupying the driver’s seat.

“Do you want me to stop somewhere for groceries?” Eric reached beneath him and pulled the lever to slide the seat back a few inches. “You can give me a list, and I can go in and buy everything?”

Sam studied Eric as he adjusted the mirrors. “You don’t have to buy me things.”

“I’m not offering because Ihaveto,” Eric said. “I’d like to. I just…” He cast Sam a sidelong look. “I still can’t get my head around the fact that you’re grown up. Last time I saw you, you…” He pressed his lips together hard, and his eyes dropped.

Sam waited patiently, hoping to hear more. Maybe something that would fill in the Eric-shaped hole in his memory.

“You were sleeping,” Eric continued. “I went into your room to wake you up. It was like two or three in the morning.”

“But you decided not to?” Sam prompted.

Eric lifted his eyes to meet Sam’s. Sam could have been looking in a mirror; their eyes were the exact same colour. Exact same shade. Though Sam didn’t know if his own eyes were as expressive as Eric’s. If anyone could take one look at Sam and see a storm of emotions behind his eyes. Anger. Hurt.

Regret.