Page 131 of Places We've Never Been

CHAPTER 32

Mom led me over to a red metal sculpture that arched over the sidewalk and grass. A larger-than-life piece ofart.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, attempting to play innocent. I knew why she wanted to talk.

She stopped by one of the supporting legs of the statue. “Four years ago when the Huttons moved, Skyler had a really hard time. Out of all the kids, it was the toughest on him.”

Or maybe I didn’t know why she wanted to talk. “I know.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Because he has a hard time making friends, fitting in.”Like me,I wanted to add but didn’t.

“That might have been part of it.”

I waited, knowing she was about to tell me what she thought the real reason was.

“He had a huge crush on you.”

My mom knew that and I hadn’t? I must’ve looked surprised and she seemed to think that meant I was hearing this for the first time.

“He did,” she said as if I didn’t believe her. “I should’ve told you before the trip but I thought for sure he had moved on.”

“Why are you telling me now?”

“Because I’m worried that he hasn’t.”

“Why would that be a big deal?”

“The news he’s going to hear next week is going to be really hard on him. And he doesn’t need extra emotions to deal with.”

“Extra emotions?”

“If you had a crush on someone and they were thousands of miles away, wouldn’t that take an emotional toll on you?”

I nodded because, yes, it would. It was going to.

“Now imagine at the same time, you find out your mom is sick.”

My jaw tightened. “That would be hard.”

“Exactly. Please, Norah, I know you two are the best of friends, but don’t make his life more complicated. Be his friend, but don’t hold his heart hostage. He’s going to need it in the coming months.”

I stood there in shock. It felt like she was saying that him loving me right now wasn’t in his best interest. But I couldn’t decide if she felt that way because she thought I didn’t love him back, or if it was because she thought that regardless of my feelings, loving me would be too hard for him with everything he’d be dealing with. I had been wrong. My mom did not want human friendship bracelets.

“He’s not thirteen anymore, Mom,” I finally said. “I think he can handle hard things.”

“Is that what you want to be? Another hard thing he has tohandle?”

“No…”

“Good. So we’re on the same page.”

I wasn’t even sure we were in the same book. Assuming she didn’t realize we were secretly kissing, I had no idea what she expected me to do with this information. Start ignoring Skyler? Stop hugging him at breakfast? Tell him I didn’t like him back so he could move on and focus all his emotions on his mom? I had a feeling she expected that last one and I wasn’t going to tell her, at least not now, that I was definitely not on that page.

“Can we go back now?” I asked.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have sprung that on you like that, but you needed to know so you can be a good friend.”