Natalie
“Look who I found on our doorstep,” Mom says. A huge smile lights up her face as she makes a ta-da gesture with her hands.
My gaze moves to the guy standing behind her. Dwarfing her, actually. Mom must be at least a foot shorter than Brody. It makes me realize just how tall and broad he is. At twenty-three, he’s a man who has grown into his body. There’s nothing boyish about him. A tingle of awareness zips through me. That never used to happen when I saw him before we began fake-dating. Normally all I feel is annoyance.
The forkful of pancake I was in the process of hoisting to my mouth stalls in midair as I meet Brody’s eyes from across the room. His hair is freshly washed and is pushed away from his face. The ends curl slightly above the collar of his sweatshirt.
It doesn’t escape me that guys with long hair have never been my type.
Apparently, that’s changed.
Crap.
Crap.
Crap.
The last thing I want is to find myself attracted to Brody. That would be disastrous. Falling for a manwhore never ends well for any girl. I’m no exception to the rule.
In the cold light of day, I’m angry at myself for allowing this to happen. I’m smarter than this. I went through a similar situation last year with Reed. I don’t want to stereotype, but I know what these guys are like. I’ve been witness to it for three years running. A countless number of girls have cried on my shoulder about Wildcats hockey players who lured them into bed (snort—more like they dove in there headfirst, but whatever) and then dumped them the moment they zipped up their khakis.
The good old pump and dump.
I have to remind myself that what Brody and I have is nothing more than a pretend relationship. There’s nothing meaningful going on between us. There are absolutely no feelings involved.
See? Now I feel better. More in control.
The fork drops back to my plate with a clink as I frown. “What are you doing here?”
My reaction doesn’t seem to faze him in the least. In fact, he beams a smile my way. “I thought you might need a ride back to campus.”
“That is so considerate of you, Brody,” Mom says. “Have you eaten breakfast already? I have a few extra pancakes and some bacon if you’re hungry.”
“Thanks, that would be awesome. I had an early practice this morning. Other than a protein bar, I didn’t have a chance to eat.”
My voice fills with irritation. “Don’t you and your dad normally have brunch after practice?”
Mom grabs a dish from the cupboard and stacks three fluffy pancakes with a side of bacon onto a ceramic plate before setting it down in front of him.
“He had a meeting, so we skipped it.” His eyes dance with ill-disguised humor. “I thought I’d stop over and see what you were up to.” He bats his eyelashes and coos, “Plus, I missed my Pooh bear.”
I nearly choke at the endearment. “Maybe you should have called first.”
“Would you have answered?” he fires back in a singsong voice.
I grind my back teeth, saying nothing because we both know I would have gone into avoidance mode after what happened Friday night. Damn him for showing up out of the blue and forcing my hand. I spent all Saturday thinking about it and my physical reaction to Brody still mystifies me. If he hadn’t put the brakes on our makeout session, I don’t think I would have. Considering that I don’t even like the guy, it’s a real kick in the pants.
A superior expression settles across his face. “Hence me showing up unannounced on your doorstep.”
“Syrup is already on the table,” Mom cuts in, sounding shrill. Her eyes pinball between us as if she doesn’t know what to make of our interaction. “How about some orange juice?”
I wilt in relief when Brody drags his eyes from me to Mom. “Thanks, Mrs. D. I’d love some.”
“We’re happy you could join us.” Mom’s questioning gaze darts in my direction as she arches her brows. “Wasn’t it thoughtful of Brody to come by and pick you up?” The silent message written across her face is clear.
Be nice, Natalie Marie!
I’m tempted to roll my eyes but don’t. Mom has no idea what’s going on between us. Well, she’s not alone. I haven’t a clue either. “Yes, it was very considerate.” Changing my tone, I say in an overly sweet voice, “Thank you so much for showing up on my doorstep for the second time without any warning. You’re like a bad penny that keeps turning up at the most inopportune times.”
He grins around a forkful of pancake. “Anything for you.”
Mom shakes her head. “You two have a very odd relationship.”
Brody’s shoulders tremble with silent laughter. I can’t help it, the corners of my lips twitch.
Mom’s right. We have an odd relationship. He loves to give me shit, and I enjoy slinging it right back at him. Tenfold.
“That’s one of the things I like about your daughter, Mrs. D. Her sharp tongue keeps me on my toes.”
Mom’s expression turns from confused to thoughtful before she carefully asks, “Do you come from an abusive home, Brody?”
He nearly spits out the mouthful of orange juice he’s in the process of swallowing. He coughs and thumps his chest with his fist as it goes down the wrong hatch. Being the loving girlfriend that I am, I pound on his back extra hard until his eyes grow glassy with tears.
He chokes out the words, “No, ma’am. Why?”
Mom shrugs. “Just a theory.”
I say with a straight face, “Brody knows I subscribe to the philosophy of treat ’em mean, keep ’em keen.” I flutter my lashes at him. “Isn’t that right, dear?”
Too busy trying not to cough, Brody nods his head emphatically. “Can’t argue with that,” he croaks.
Mom purses her lips and sighs. “I think the divorce has hit you hard, Natalie. Maybe you should see if they have yoga classes on campus. I think a little self-reflection would be good for you.”
Before I can reply, Brody catches his breath and changes the subject. “How’d your date go last night, Mrs. D?”
The question seems to throw Mom off guard. I’d asked her the same thing this morning, and she’d brushed the query aside, saying nothing more than “it was good.” And because it’s weird to discuss dating with my mother, I hadn’t pushed the issue.
But I’m curious as to what she’ll tell Brody.
“We had a nice time, and the band was great.”
Brody shoves another mammoth bite of pancake into his mouth before asking, “Think you’ll get together again?”
I perk up, interested in her response.
She hesitates and glances away. “I think so.”
“So, when do we get to meet the lucky fellow?” Brody gives me a wink. “Maybe we can double date. How fun would that be?”
Mom chuckles but looks uncomfortable by the suggestion. And I’ll admit, it’s not something I really want to do either.
“Oh, I don’t think we’re quite to that point yet. But maybe.” She glances longingly at the door leading to the hallway as if plotting an escape. “I’m, ah, going to the study to finish up some work. Let me know before you leave, okay sweetie?”
Before I can open my mouth, Brody cuts in. “I’ll be sure to do that, Mrs. D.”
Mom purses her lips in an attempt not to smile. I think she’s already figured out that it’s a mistake to encourage him. “I meant my daughter. But it was lovely to see you as well, Brody.”
He gives her a little wink.
Once she’s gone, I wad up my napkin and throw it at him. “A double date, huh?”
He chuckles. “Did I go too far?”
“By like a mile.”
He shrugs. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. Figured you’d want some backup while meeting the new guy your mom is getting serious with.”
Something in my belly clenches at the idea of her dating one man exclusively. Ever since Dad left, it’s been just the two of us. I’m not sure if I’m ready for some stranger to barge in and throw off the balance we’ve found after all these months.
“Davies?” Brody reaches out and touches my arm. “You okay?”
I force my lips up and lower my voice. “Yeah. I’m fine.” I don’t want Mom to overhear our conversation. “It’s weird to see your parents dating. This is the first guy she’s gone out with. At least, it’s the first one she’s mentioned. It’s not that I don’t want her to find someone, but…” I’m not sure how to finish that sentence without sounding like a selfish jerk.
“You don’t necessarily want to have a stranger dropped in the middle of your life,” he finishes for me.
My body wilts as he voices my silent concern. It’s a relief that he gets it. That I don’t have to justify my feelings to him.
“After everything that happened with my dad, I’m not ready for that. I’m not ready for both of my parents to be in relationships. To introduce new people into my life.”
His fingers brush against mine and wrap around them. “It took a little bit of time to get used to the idea of my dad dating again. It sucked thinking someone might come in and try to take my mom’s place, but,” he shrugs, “I wanted him to be happy.” He gives my hand a squeeze. “It’ll get easier. I promise.”
For the first time since the divorce, I feel like someone understands what I’m going through. The fact that it’s the guy I spent three years hating on makes it even more bizarre. Or a cosmic joke. Even though his mother died and my parents are separated, we still have to deal with extraneous people involved in our lives.
“I hope so,” I whisper. Because right now, it feels excruciating.
“Just give it some time. Let the dust settle.”
I nod.
Who would have ever thought I’d be taking life advice from Brody? It’s enough to make me wonder if I’ve entered a parallel universe.