“I wish that were true, Dan,” he says, sliding into the car and starting the engine.
“But, Ro. Come on … was it wise to have yourteaching assistantwatch her? Is that even allowed? Do you like her? Is that why?” He inhales sharply, not saying anything, and her eyes widen slightly. “Oh fuck. Youdo.”
“Dan, don’t make a big deal out of it. She’s not interested. Nothing is happening. She just helped me out.”
Danica raises her palms. “Hey, man. You do you. Just be careful. You already have a lot on your plate.”
He exhales, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “I know, Dan. I need to get my kid home and start on my coursework.”
She nods, stepping back. “Okay, just call if you need anything.”
“Yeah,” he says, peeling out from the driveway until she’s a speck in the rearview.
He wonders if Danica is right. Despite everything that’s happened, he’sstarting to really likeher. She’s headstrong, independent, and sharp in a defensive way that makes him want to know why.
And now she’s met his kid.
But she’s made it very clear that nothing can happen.
So, he’ll have to settle for whatever this is instead.
CHAPTER 20
INVISIBLE
JAHLANI
Ms. J
Do we have 2 show work for the quiz if it’s multiple choice???? Is it for a grade?
Harrison
Sent from my iPhone
“Ithink you broke my wrist, Teryn.”
Jahlani cradles her left arm to her chest, laying it on thick, as she uses her chopsticks to grab her California roll. They’re sitting outside a restaurant two blocks away from the self-defense class that Teryn had invited her to. The air smells of ginger and soy sauce, and the dark wooden tables hold empty bottles of soju, sauce, and plates of sushi.
Teryn laughs, her eyes crinkling in the corners as she chews her own spicy tuna roll. “You’re so dramatic.”
The sounds of the plaza mix around them. The laughter as kids spill out from their afternoon karate class, the faint grumble of a truck’s muffler as it drives past, and the occasional scraping of chairs and tables being pushed around the restaurant as people come and go. The chill of the wind helps cool down Jahlani’s body as they sit outside. Teryn finishes her food, leaning back with a satisfied look. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
Jahlani nods, trying to maneuver another roll into the chopsticks.
“I know you said we didn’t do anything when you left all those years ago for school, but you never really told me what happened,” she says, her finger tracing the edge of her glass.
Jahlani sighs, shrugging, discarding the chopsticks, and settling for her fingers. As she chews, she contemplates how to respond.
Teryn shoves her straw into her glass, using it to make her ice rattle. “It’s fine, Jahlani. You don’t have to tell me?—”
“When my dad left, my mom was different,” she starts, wiping her fingers against her napkin. “I mean, you expect that. Your husband just left you and your kid. Things aren’t supposed to stay the same. But he left, and it was like I was invisible.” She wraps her arms around herself as the wind from outside bites her flesh, no longer providing relief. “She started dating, and at first, I was happy. She was moving on, but I think in the process, she left me without realizing it.”
“Shit, I’m sorry,” Teryn says, looking down.
Jahlani shakes her head. “Don’t be. It was years ago. I’m a big girl now,” she says through a strained chuckle. “I swore I wouldn’t be like her, so I didn’t date for a few years. And then I met Micah, and I don’t know, I wasn’t invisible anymore. And it just didn’t seem worth it to come back, especially when I got into the program for my master’s and he asked me to move in.”
Teryn nods, toying with her lips. “What’s the story there?”
