Page 18 of No Way Home
It was set with darling floral blue and white dinner plates that I recognized as Pioneer Woman brand from Walmart. I’d eyed them myself. Honestly, I’d expected Williams Sonoma or something from Crate and Barrel. But I loved that this branch of the Duprees hadn’t let money go to their heads.
Just as we got situated, the front screen door creaked open. My stomach wrenched hard. If Sophie was away at camp, who was that? I vaguely remembered Griffin mentioning that his grandma lived on the next hill over—but she’d recently begun dating a man and usually had dinner with him.
Griff stiffened, hands clenched on the table.
Lemon smiled, eyes excited. “Oh, good. Bowen made it.”
The air in my lungs crystallized, making it impossible to exhale. Maybe there was a minuscule chance that I was wrong. Maybe 167 was just a doppelgänger for James and Silas. Maybe Bowen would walk in and it wouldn’t be him at all.
But I knew the truth.
I glanced around, looking for a way to escape without anyone noticing. I’d just race to my car, hightail it out of here, and keep driving right past the Seddledowne County line. Then I’d change my name and number and go do charity work in a third-world country for the rest of my life.
You can’t ditch! That’s what he did, and you’re better than that.
“Did you tell him?” Griffin asked his mom, each word laced with accusation.
I went rigid, shocked at his tone.
“Griff,” Silas said, like he was acting crazy. “He lives here. Of course, he’s invited to dinner.”
Griffin huffed.
“He’s invited to every meal if he wants.” Lemon’s tone matched her husband’s. But then her expression softened. “Just like you.” She tilted her head and gave him a look that said,Be chill.
“Bowen, we’re in here!” Silas called.
In the living room, on the other side of the wall, a female whispered something, followed by a giggle.
James groaned. “He brought Nova?” he said in a secretive hush.
I tensed even more. I vaguely remembered Griffin saying Bowen had an on-again, off-again thing going with Nova Fairchild—the actress who played Raven Nightshade’s niece in the Spy vs Sigh movies, produced by Clean Slate Productions, his aunt and uncle’s company. According to Griff, Nova wasn’t her real name though. Her real name was Rachel Smith. She hated how plain it was and she wouldn’t let anyone call her that. Not even her parents.
Griffin relaxed. “I didn’t know they were back together,” he whispered.
“Last weekend, apparently.” Lemon pasted on a smile. She seemed like the kind of woman who never said an unkind thing about another female, and I couldn’t tell how she felt aboutNova.
“I wish they’d just stay off,” James said.
Sage patted him lightly on the chest, shushing him.
Bowen’s quiet approach echoed through the walls, every step a countdown. When he sauntered in, every head turned—including mine. My chest cinched tight, my breath stuck somewhere between inhale and disbelief.
It was him.
And he was just as cute as I remembered.
His swim trunks, still damp, hung off his hips. His fitted T-shirt stretched across his muscled chest. With his hair down, it brushed the tops of his shoulders. He shoved it back off his face and my stomach took a traitorous dip.
Nova was right behind him. She was exactly the kind of girl I would’ve expected him to be with. Thin, gorgeous, shiny black hair that was wet from being in the water. She was way prettier than me. Her royal blue crop top showed off three inches of very tanned, very toned abs. She hung on Bowen’s arm so tightly that they almost looked like conjoined twins.
I’d never felt more foolish in my entire life.
On our date, I’d gotten so swept up in him, so hypnotized by his charming smile and almost-translucent eyes, that I’d nearly done irreversible damage to my belly button after one hour together. Now, I was sitting at his family’s dinner table, the biggest sucker ever played.
I wished I had a time turner. I would take it all back. The glances, the flirting, the entire date that now felt like one big joke.
Right then, that deceitful warm feeling that said, ‘he’s the one,’ had the audacity to reignite. Which confirmed what I’d suspected. That feeling was not from my mom. It was all in my head. Ormy hormones, more likely.
