“A little,” I admit. Leaning forward, I lift the lid of the chicken soup and take a deep inhale. “That smells delicious.”
He grins. “My mom swears chicken soup cures everything. I don’t know about that, but I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
It’s not the first time Alec’s mentioned his family, and suddenly I’m seized with curiosity about them. Who are his parents and how did they raise such a great guy? What about his sister, who loves Taylor Swift? Does he have other siblings? Pets?
“Do you see your mom often?” I ask.
Alec opens one of the silverware packets and hands the spoon to me. Then he passes over the container of chicken soup. Obediently, I take a spoonful, feeling the warmth of it absorb into my body.
“I try to go back home once a month,” he replies. “My mom and dad still live in Boston, so it’s not too long of a trip. Sometimes things come up with work, and I can’t get away, so they’ll come out here when that happens.”
A twinge of longing hits me at the affectionate tone in his voice. Without him saying anything more, I can tell his relationship with his parents is a good one. Still, I find myself asking, “So, you’re close to your parents?”
Alec leans back and stretches. His leg bumps mine. My pulse skips. “Yeah. Being in the Army, I didn’t see them as much as I’d like. Traveling overseas so much, you know? But since I’ve been living in Vermont, it’s easier to visit.”
I take another sip of soup. “What about your sister? The one who likes Taylor Swift? Is she your only sibling? Or do you have others?”
“It’s just me and Andrea. She lives in Marlborough with her husband and kids. They’ve got a little girl, Julia, who just turned four. And Ryder’s two.” He smiles. “So that’s another plus to living here. I get to see my niece and nephew grow up.”
Images of Alec come to life; playing tea party with his niece or gentle catch with his nephew, laughing at their antics and his eyes lighting up with pleasure. “That sounds really nice,” I tell him. “I’m glad you have family close by.”
Alec picks up a cardboard carton from the coffee table and opens it, revealing half-a-dozen buttery breadsticks inside. He offers one to me, then takes one for himself. He polishes it off in three bites, then asks, “What about you? I know you mentioned your dad…”
“It’s just me now. For a long time, it was me and my dad. He worked as a high school science teacher in Bennington, where I grew up, which was nice because he had nights, weekends, and summers off to spend time with me. My mother…”
Alec touches my arm. His gaze softens. “You don’t have to talk about her.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s been a long time, anyway.” I set the half-finished soup off to the side. “She left when I was ten. She was a receptionist at a gym nearby, and she ended up cheating on my dad with one of the trainers. They moved to Tampa not long after.”
“Shit, Hazel. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Why did I tell him all that? I could have just said my parents split up and left it alone. But there’s just something about Alec that makes me want to open up to him.
“It’s okay,” I reassure him. “Like I said, it was a long time ago.” I tuck my legs up pretzel-style beneath the blanket, brushing against Alec’s leg in the process. “My dad passed away six years ago from a heart attack. I call my mother a few times a year to check in, but we’re not close. Not like you and your parents are.”
I couldn’t bring myself to keep up the pretense of a close relationship with my mother—not mom, she lost that title when she up and left with no regard to how her husband and young daughter would feel—so I call out of familial obligation, not because I particularly want to.
Alec frowns at the TV for a few seconds. Then he turns back to me. “So. Your game.Tenebris Veil. I looked it up last night. It seems pretty fun. What got you into playing?”
For abrupt topic changes, it’s not a bad one. And I’d much rather talk about my game than my disappointing lack of family.
“It was just after I moved here,” I reply. “I happened to see an ad forTenebris Veilonline, and it seemed interesting. Pictures of flying horses and fire-breathing dragons and elves casting colorful spells. There was a free trial, so I figured, why not?”
And I was desperate to find something that would take my mind off the reason I left Boston. Something steeped in fantasy instead of unpleasant reality.
“So you have friends you play with?” Alec grabs another breadstick. “You said you have a guild. And you go on quests?”
“Yeah, I’ve made some pretty good friends through the game. I know it sounds weird, being friends with people you’ve never actually met. Although my friend Jess; I met her this past summer for her wedding. But the rest I just talk to online.”
“It’s not weird. I told you, Knox and Gage playWorld of Warcraft. So they’ve explained it to me. Playing with people all over the world… I think it’s pretty cool, really.”
“You said you’ve played a few times?”
“Yeah. Not that I wouldn’t try it again. But honestly, spending my days working with computers so much, I kind of like unplugging when I get home.”
I nod. “That makes sense.” Distractedly, I note that my lingering chill seems to have disappeared. In its place is an odd sort of warm, buzzy feeling. “You must do a lot on the computer for your company. Setting up security systems and all.”
He polishes off his breadstick and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Definitely. And with GMG—Green Mountain Guardians?—”
