Page 25 of Lucy Loves Him Not
“I have a younger sister, Gracie, too. Olivia is the oldest. Growing up it was just my sisters , my mom, and me.”
“It was my mom, my older brother, and me growing up, too. Just the three of us.”
“What was that like? The three of you?” I asked. “It was just the four of us, but in my house, we were very loud and in each other’s business. We loved a lot of the same things, too, so we’d all be hooked on a show together or in the kitchen cooking together. Or sometimes we were totally against the guy one ofmy sisters was dating. And my mom was in on all of it. Always right in the noise, right in the drama.”
“Our house was kind of quiet, actually, but not in a bad way.” Adam squinted in the sun.
“My brother and I weren’t really into the same things, like you and your sisters. He was older and really into basketball, so he had his world. And then there was me, trying to find my world. I mean, if I had a girlfriend, sometimes my brother and Mom never even knew. I really liked student government and speech and debate; I’d spend a lot of time at those clubs and practices.”
“You were arguing with people about how to run things even in your youth? How cute,” I said as I added extra pico de gallo to my next bite. I could imagine young Adam trying to find his world by finding out the rules and instructions and letting those guide him.
“But nothing prepared me for you,” he teased.
“Do you miss your family since you’ve moved?” A line was forming outside the taco truck. I smiled at someone I recognized and gave a little wave.
“I guess I always miss them. I grew up in Oklahoma, over in Tulsa. My mom is still there, but both my brother and I moved away for college. I haven’t ever gone back, except for a couple of Christmases. My brother is on the East Coast now and here I am after bouncing around for years.”
“My mom wouldn’t stand for it. I think she’d follow one of us if all three of us left.”
“Nah, my mom isn’t really like that. After my dad left when I was, what, ten? She kind of got wrapped up in her own stuff and I think she was kind of relieved when Dylan and I grew up and got our own lives, too. I think after Dad she was like, I’m over this trying to be a family thing and charted a new path. Dylan and I were just hanging on for the ride.”
“She was pretty independent, huh?” I asked, choosing my words carefully.
“You could say that. She definitely raised us to be independent, too. Maybe she didn’t want any of us to feel like we needed each other. Or anyone.” He sounded sad, but he didn’t look down or away. He looked straight into my eyes.
“My family is the opposite. We maybe need each other too much.” I set my now empty plate down beside me.
“I don’t know. I sometimes think…is it so bad to need people?I wouldn’t mind being needed. I wouldn’t mind if someone had what I needed.” Adam finished his plate, too, setting it beside mine.
“There are some pros and cons. When my sister is making me write her grocery lists for her after she’s moved out, that’s a definite con.”
Adam chuckled. “I love my mom. She took care of me when I was a kid. She never misses a call on my birthday. I don’t want to sound like I’m saying anything bad about her.”
“I didn’t take it that way, Adam.” I shook my head. Again, he was lowering his armor in a way that surprised me.
“I just see tight-knit families like yours and even communities like here in Sweet River and wonder what it would be like to be part of something like that. I’ve made friends along the way, joined clubs and churches, but I’ve never felt…like I had a place that was mine. Or had anyone think I was theirs. Like I was in a pack, like you said. I wonder what that would be like all the time.”
“Well, you’re here now. Welcome to the Sweet River pack. Get ready for coffee shop gossip and potluck invitations.” I shot him a big smile, but there was still a glimmer of hurt in his eyes. My gut told me to comfort him, to connect, but my mind said,Danger!This guy could be playing you.
“Well, if Sweet River keeps providing food like this, I’m never leaving,” he finally said, then took a swig of his Coke.
“Don’t mess things up and maybe we’ll let you stay.” I cocked my head to the side like he was under inspection.
Adam grinned at me. There was a softness underneath Adam’s surface that somehow also felt explosive—dangerous.
I looked away. “Since I’ve eaten all the research, I think I’ll head home. This was a good find, Adam.”
Ididn’t go home. I went to Olivia’s house. On the drive over I called my mom and my sisters, telling them to meet me there.
Olivia’s house looked like a construction zone, but still somehow felt cozy and traditional with walnut cabinets, hardwood floors, and leafy trees brushing against the windows.
My mom went into Olivia’s kitchen and immediately started rummaging through her fridge. “Olivia, have you not been grocery shopping? It’s all condiments and cheese in here.”
“We can make a cheese plate,” Gracie offered, reaching under Mom and pulling out a block of cheddar.
“You’d need crackers for that,” my mom said with a judgmental tone.
“I’ve been busy working on the house, so I’ve been ordering out a lot and making grilled cheeses,” Olivia defended herself. “I’ve been trying them with different cheeses.”
