Page 77 of Hot and Bothered
Act like nothing was wrong, pretend his mother wasn’t sick, ignore this huge burden weighing him down…
…or break up for good?
My phone rang. I jumped. The caller ID said unknown. I contemplated ignoring it, but since phone calls were so rare, curiosity won out.
“Hello?” I answered tentatively.
“Alice,” my mother said primly. “We’re having a dinner.”
I paused, waiting for her to continue.
“And?” I asked.
“We’re requesting your presence.” She could barely contain her impatience.
“I’m not sure I—”
“Jacob and his family will be there,” she cut in.
“Now I’m really sure I don’t—”
“Alice, we are trying to mend bridges, and an apology on your part would be…” She let out a small huff through her nose. “It would be appreciated,” she finished. “Especially by Jacob.”
I hesitated. I didn’t want to apologize for living my own life, but it was true that Jacob’s family was out a lot of money for the wedding, not to mention the humiliation and the blow to their reputation. I also hadn’t really considered Jacob’s feelings in all of this.
Guilt filled my chest.
We’d never had a grand passion, and I’d never been convinced he even loved me, but still, he must have been hurt.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll come to dinner.”
29
My sister was the first person to greet me after tentatively lifting my hand to knock on the front door. It seemed odd to be knocking on the door to my own home, but I supposed it wasn’t my home. Not anymore. I had a new home now.
Or, I’d thought I did. I’d begun to think of Evan’s place as my new home. He had called it as much. But after what he’d said at the bar, after he’d said maybe I shouldn’t be in his life, I didn’t know what to think.
Evan hadn’t slept in his apartment the last few nights. I assumed he’d been staying with his mom, to help his sister take care of her. And, of course, to avoid talking with me. He barely spoke to me on the few shifts we’d had together. He didn’t respond to the few texts I’d sent. I didn’t bother trying to call his phone. I knew he wouldn’t answer if he saw it was me.
Communication issues, indeed.
At least I was going to spend one night not worrying about Evan. No, instead I was going to spend the night worrying about my parents, and my sister, and Jacob, and his parents.
I pressed a hand to my stomach to calm the roiling inside. I could make it through the evening. All I had to do was apologize, smile and nod, and play the part of the perfect daughter for one more night. I could handle that.
But as soon as my sister opened the front door and I was met with her sneer, all my previous doubts came rushing toward me.
“So you showed up after all,” my sister Grace said. “I half-expected you to back out.”
“I said I’d be here, so here I am.”
Grace’s mouth opened in a small O of shock. I never talked back, not to her, not to anyone. But I’d grown a lot over these last few months and I wasn’t going to let her mow over me anymore.
I pushed past her shoulder and walked into the front foyer.
“Am I early?” I asked, not seeing anyone else.
“You’re just in time.” My mother appeared and nodded her chin toward the dining room. “Everyone’s already gathered, but the food hasn’t been served yet. Follow me.”
