Page 28 of Vince
“Syd. All this did was prove that even though we’ve only known each other a short time, I somehow matter to you. If you just thought I was some prick, you clearly wouldn’t have given two shits about the fact that I’d potentially been a cheater. I’m sure you would’ve told me off or just never spoke to me again. You also wouldn’t have been this upset over the fact that you ran into me.”
“I didn’t want to like you…” she whispers.
I chuckle. I can’t help it—besides—what can I say to that?
“Well, that’s good to know—but I’m pretty sure you’ve just proven otherwise,” I tease.
Sydney pulls back from our hug, rolling her eyes. “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”
“Probably not,” I admit.
Leaving one arm around her, I turn and look toward the diner. “Would you mind having dinner with me and a very entertaining three-year-old? Or, if that’s too much pressure, I can sit awkwardly across the diner and watch you from across the room—wait—that sounds stalkerish. Scratch that. I can just pretend to ignore you from afar.”
“Okay, wise ass.” And the spunk is back. “I think I can handle dinner with a three-year-old. Though fair warning. I’m an only child and know nothing about kids.”
“Just remember—she can sense fear—and most certainly will take advantage,” I tease as we walk to the diner.
When we enter, I see Vanessa’s brows raise into her hairline with a clear message ofEverything okay? Even without being her twin, I’m sure anyone who’s watching could make out that thought.
Taking Sydney’s hand, I walk to where Julia and Vanessa are standing. “Hey, Jules, do you mind if we eat at my friend Sydney’s booth tonight?”
She slowly looks Sydney over with care. “Sure, Unks. She’s pretty. She has hair the color of Merida, but her hair isn’t curly. Can I still get mac n’ cheese with bwroccoli?”
Glancing at Sydney, I smile when her eyes widen. But I direct my focus to my sister. “Hey, Van, this is Sydney. Sydney,thisis mysisterVanessa.”
Vanessa doesn’t miss a beat. She reaches out her hand to shake Sydney’s. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ll be right back with place settings for these two if they’re joining you.”
“That would be great.” Sydney smiles and turns her attention to Julia. “My friend Chloe’s sitting right over there. Want to join us?”
Chloe’s waving to Julia, welcoming us all.
Since Sydney’s food is already on the other side of the booth from her, Chloe scoots further into the booth and asks, “Hey, Julia, wanna sit with me. I’d love to have someone draw with me.” Chloe reaches for the cup of crayons near the window and turns over her placemat.
“Can I use blue? It’s my faborite,” she says in the cutest tone ever. Her Vs and Rs are difficult to say, but she tries to sound so grown up. Yeah. I’m biased, I know, but Jules is adorable when she puts on the charm.
As Sydney scoots into the booth, I take a seat beside her, mentally wanting to hug Chloe for taking charge of this situation. “Thanks for letting us crash your evening,” I offer.
“No problem at all,” Chloe says as she draws alongside Julia. “I’m just glad the two of you seemed to sort things out.”
Sydney shakes her head as she fidgets with her hands under the table. To put her at ease, I reach over and grab her hand to hold it on her lap. She squeezes it once to reassure that she’s okay. “It was a big misunderstanding with a lot of assumption on my part. But I think it’s been sorted.”
“Let’s hope so,” I interject before anyone can say anything. “Though when you think about it, it’s kind of funny. Van’s going to get a kick out of it when I tell her later.” Sydney’s eyes dart to me and widen in shock as her cheeks darken, making her freckles stand out. Immediately, I backpedal. “What? Too soon?”
Her grimace is freaking adorable, and I don’t even attempt hiding my smile.
“Maybe for the moment,” she mutters. “Gah… I so jumped to conclusions.”
“It’s over. Let’s move on,” I remind her then turn my attention to Chloe. “You two should eat before your dinner gets cold. I called ahead for our order, so we shouldn’t have to wait much longer.”
“Yeah. Momma works here and always gets our food, fast,” Julia pipes in.
“That must be nice.” Chloe smiles. “Do either of you want some of my fries while we wait?”
I know she’s offered it to both of us, but I’m sure it’s more for Julia’s sake than mine. Julia doesn’t disappoint as she eagerly bobs her head and says, “Yeah.”
“Yes, please?” I remind her.
“Yes, pwease.” She sighs in my direction, then gives a megawatt smile to Chloe. I’m sure it has everything to do with the fry in her hand. I clearly see where Unks rates in this situation with her new best friend.
