Page 3 of Always a Chance
“Good boys don’t swear.”
I leveled her with a look. “You’re not fooling me. You know what I meant.”
She wheeled herself to the edge of the deck. “Maybe.”
Shaking my head, I said, “Well, I was on a deadline. You aren’t the only girl in my life, G.”
A pout formed on her lips. “You mean not-real people, right?”
“Maybe.” I threw the word back at her, loving the way her face lit up every time we talked. Gigi and I had a long history, not an altogether good one, and now she was a twenty-six year old with the temperament of someone much younger than her years. I didn’t feel sorry for her, I didn’t pity her, but I did wish things were different, that she didn’t have to struggle.
“Johnny Kelly, you’re a bad man.”
“Also maybe.” I laughed, knowing she didn’t really mean it. Gigi and I hung out at least once a week, and she was one of my favorite people in the entire world.
“Are you giving my son grief, Gigi?” My mom walked outside behind me, rounding Dad’s he-shed to stand at my side and wrap an arm around my shoulders.
“Always, Mrs. K.”
“Good for you. Someone needs to.”
I groaned. “Yes, let’s pick on Johnny, the baby of the family, because obviously no one else does.” I was the constant punching bag for my three siblings, though I loved them more than anything. Life sort of picked on me. Just life.
“Did you read his new book?” Mom asked Gigi.
“No.” Her lips flattened. “He won’t let me.”
“I will.” Once I made a cleaner version. Something felt odd about Gigi reading the sex scenes I wrote.
Mom laughed. “Don’t worry, dear, he makes me read the boring version too.”
My phone rang, saving me from this interrogation. “Small mercies.” It wouldn’t be a mercy for long. Aidan started talking before I even greeted him.
“The publisher isn’t happy with the new chapters, Johnny. What did you send them? AHello Kittystory?”
“Is anyone going to give me a break today?” I walked through the house to get to the front, waving to my dad, who was tinkering with something in the kitchen. I’d only come over to cut their grass, but it turned into an all-day event as Mom stuffed me full of food and held me captive. Apparently, I don’t visit her enough. Her claim.
“No.” Aidan wasn’t one to mince words. His social anxiety made him overly direct. “Your head isn’t in the game.”
“I’ll be home in fifteen.” I hung up without a goodbye. I’d been best friends with Aidan most of my life, and we lived together in a high-rise apartment. We were even partners in this writing mess we’d gotten ourselves involved in.
I called it a mess because that was all it felt like lately. I couldn’t do anything right. Not with my agent, the publisher, nor anyone else, it seemed.
When I walked through the door into our too-modern apartment, the smell of garlic hit me. Aidan was an anxious cook, an excited cook, a sad cook. Basically, when he had any kind of emotion he didn’t want to deal with, he broke out the spices.
White tile stretched through the immaculate condo, again because of Aidan. Windows made up the far wall, overlooking Gulf City to the ocean. From up here, it was even more evident the term “city” was extremely generous for our small town.
“What are you making?” I wasn’t sure I could eat a bite after being at Mom’s.
“Chili. It’s not for you though.” He didn’t turn. “My sisters are making me go to Arya’s house.”
A laugh burst out of me. Aidan spoke of family events like they were a death sentence, but I knew the truth. He had five sisters and adored every single one of them. “Good, because I don’t think I could stomach it.”
“You were at your mom’s?”
“How’d you guess?”
“Because you sound like you gained five pounds since I saw you this morning.” He finally turned, his face showing nothing of what he was thinking, no sign it was a joke.
