Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85711 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85711 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Chapter 23
Michael
I walk back into the apartment, and the tension in my neck is almost pushing me down into the floor. I can hear talking in the kitchen, and when I walk in, my parents are sitting at the counter with Alex eating. “What are you doing back here so soon?” my mother asks, looking at me with worry.
“Her sister showed up,” I tell them softly, going to the empty chair beside Alex and sitting down. My stomach rumbles, so she slides her plate over to me.
“You look like shit,” Alex says, earning my parents to both hiss her name out. She looks over at them. “Are you trying to tell me that he doesn’t look like shit?”
“He’s going through a lot,” my mother reminds her. “But you do look tired.”
“So,” I start, taking a piece of chicken and cutting it. “What did you guys think?” I look at my parents, who share a smile with each other, and then look at me.
“She’s wonderful,” my mother praises. “She’s so pretty, charming, and so strong to do that all by herself.”
“And smart,” my father says, grabbing his own piece of chicken.
“Well, not that smart,” my sister says with a smile on her face. “She had sex with you.” She nudges me with her shoulder, and even I laugh at that joke.
“Where is Uncle Matthew?” I ask.
“Went to Cooper’s house,” Dad says, “to see the kids.”
I finish the plate and then look at my parents. “I’m going to head to bed,” I tell them, and they both smile at me. Alex gets off her stool and walks away to one of the spare bedrooms.
“You got a package,” my father says when I walk toward my bedroom. The yellow envelope is on the front table, and I grab it on the way to my room.
Heading straight for the shower, I turn it on to cold and let the cold water just hit the back of my neck. I’m wrapping the towel around my waist when the phone rings and I look down to see it’s Jillian. “Hey,” I greet, the smile coming to my face right away.
“Hi,” she says, her voice a bit weird. “I have something to ask you.” I can tell that she is nervous. “And it’s okay if you say no.”
“Okay,” I say, not sure I could ever say no to her. I sit on my bed, grabbing the yellow envelope.
“Every Sunday, we have lunch at my mother’s place,” she says. “And well, I was wondering if you would like to come with me and meet her.” She huffs out the last word and then I look down at my phone and press the FaceTime button. It does a special ring, and then it says connecting, the circle going around and around. It’s a couple of seconds before her face fills the screen, and I can see she’s lying down.
“So you want me to meet your mom?” I inquire with a shy smile, looking down at her, and my heart speeds up in my chest. Even today, when I kissed her, I thought the world would stop spinning. I thought time would stand still. It wasn’t a kiss that I really wanted to give her, but with my lips on hers, everything felt like it was going to be okay.
“Might as well rip it off like a Band-Aid,” she says as she blinks. “I called her, and she also invited your parents.”
My eyes go big. “Do you think that is a good idea?” I ask her, wondering if she’s lying in her new bed.
“What is the worst that can happen?” she quips, and I get up from the bed, and she sees my chest. “What are you wearing?”
“A towel.” I smirk at her and walk out of my room. “Mom!” I shout her name and then hear her voice in one of the rooms. I knock on the closed door, and then Alex comes out of her room.
“What are you doing?” She looks at me with a gross look on her face. “Why are you naked?”
“I’m not naked,” I argue. “The towel covers everything.” She looks at my hand and sees Jillian on the phone.
“Gross! Were you playing with yourself in your room?” she accuses, pretending to vomit while Jillian just laughs.
The door opens, and my father stands there in his boxers. “Dad, seriously, can you not be gross?” Alex says, turning and slamming her door shut.
“I’m in the bedroom with the door closed. Am I supposed to wear a suit?” he says to the closed door, and I look down at Jillian, who just rolls her lips.
“You really think this is a good idea?” I ask, and she smiles and nods.
“Jillian’s mother would like to invite the two of you over for lunch tomorrow,” I say to my father, looking over at my mother who is in bed with the cover at her waist.