Page 31 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

“That wasn’t it. And it wasn’t ‘humble,’ either.”

“Humble? I’m not familiar with that term.” He smirked at me.

“Obviously.”

“But to answer your question, I’ve just been too busy. I had to help my mom, because she relied on me sending money home to help with the finances to send my sisters to college. Relationships take a back seat because I don’t have the time or energy for someone else.”

“How old are your sisters?” I racked my brain, trying to remember the bits of information I’d heard from Eric over the years. “As your fake girlfriend, I need to know these things.”

A genuine smile lit his face up. “Sienna is twenty-four, and she’s getting married in a few months. Gemma is twenty. They’re both working now, but things were tough for a while.”

“I heard about Sienna’s wedding. Are you going home for that? Eric and Naomi are coming, aren’t they?” I wasn’t being petty, but the subtext was clear here: thatIwasn’t invited.

He must have caught on, because he gave me a sheepish, apologetic look. “She wanted a small, no-frills celebration with close friends and families. And I’m going home, yes.”

I didn’t think his sister had beenthatclose to my brother and Naomi, but I let it go. “And when did you last see your dad?” There were a lot of framed pictures of his mom and sisters at the house, but none of his dad.

Alec’s face turned tense. “Don’t remember, don’t care. We’re better off without him.”

We were quiet as he poured us both more tea. Eric never told me what exactly had happened, only that Alec’s dad had walked out on them years ago. My heart swelled a little, imagining him as a young man, taking on the enormous responsibility of helping his mother look after the family. Something suspiciously resembling awe and admiration started to brew in my chest, and for a moment, it was as if eighteen-year-old me was the one sitting here, back again in a foggy haze of lifelong, die-hard crush on him.

Snap out of it. You’re not that teenager anymore.

“At least that’s something we have in common.” I gave him a smile, trying to brighten the mood. “Challenging parents, am I right?”

“I’ve only got one difficult parent, and he’s no longer in my life, but both yours are challenging,” he said. “Honestly, you’re really brave to move away from your family. On your own, thousands of miles across the country. Not everyone has the backbone to do it.”

I raised two fingers, hoping he wouldn’t notice the flush creeping on my face. “You’ve complimented me twice in less than an hour.”

“I’m not keeping track, but sure, if you say so.”

“But it’s unheard of.” I frowned at his cup. “Maybe the tea is laced with alcohol.”

“Seriously?” He rolled his eyes. “You don’t know how to accept a compliment?”

“I don’t know what that is. I’m too profoundly damaged, thanks to twenty-eight years of rigorous parental manipulation.”

He choked out a laugh. “I was being serious.”

“So was I.”

His gaze softened a little. “But you know that moving away from your family doesn’t solve the problem, Ellie. Whatever issues you have with them, you’ll have to face them again eventually.”

“They’re on the other side of the country. They don’t even know where I am. What can they possibly do?”

Alec scoffed. “I’m familiar with your parents. They make my dad look like the pope, okay? My point is, they’re still around, and you can’t avoid them forever.”

He might be right, but I wasn’t going to worry about it now. “Fifty bucks says I can.”

“You can’t,” he said. “They’re coming for you. And when they do, you better brace yourself, because it sure as hell won’t be pretty.”

CHAPTER 9PSA: Don’t Forget to Regularly Service Your Car

“Rob Carmichael,” I stared at the wonderful sight before my eyes, “you’re a miracle worker. A fairy godfather. A heavenly angel sent from above.”

After only three days of work, Rob and his crew had removed the fallen tree, patched up the gaping hole in the roof, and replaced all the rotting roof tiles. The leaky pipes were gone, and in their place were brand-new heavy-duty brass pipes instead. His team was now replacing the damaged floor tiles, and the speed and competence with which they worked on everything had obliterated any lingering doubts I’d had about faking a relationship with Alec. If he hadn’t introduced me to Rob, I’d probably still be hacking away at the fallen tree right now, because no matter how many video tutorials I watched, I could never do what they did.

“And you, Ellie Pang, are good for my ego.” Rob grinned. “You might sing a different tune once you’ve started painting the walls though. Sure you’re up for it, E?”

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