I’ve never felt wanted here, or that this was ever my “home.”
I shut off the car and start to reach for my door handle, but he stops me. “What’s our code for when you feel overwhelmed?”
I swallow hard and take another deep breath. “I find you and tap the side of your foot with mine.”
“Right. Promise?”
“Yes, sir.” And I mean it.
I get out and hurry around to his side to open his door and help him out, both because I know he’s kind of stiff right now, and because this is part of Carter’s plan that he ran through when we switched off at the gas station.
In case anyone’s watching, they’ll see him having trouble moving. Injured combat vet is a label he’ll happily leverage against Mom today. While I’m terrified, I’d be lying if I denied there’s a tiny part deep inside me who wants to see Carter take her down a peg or two, regardless of the emotional and financial fallout I’ll deal with later.
We pull our blazers on and make our way up their front walk. I’m kicking myself in the ass now that I didn’t drop Carter off and go park, but I also realize how badly I need his steady presence right now.
When I reach out to ring the bell, he cocks his head. “You can’t just walk in?”
I snort. “No.”
“Fair enough.”
Maybe Carter’s family has an open-door policy, but if I did that, even though technically I still live here and have a key to the front door, I would never hear the end of it if I did.
Mom opens the door, her brilliant, award-winning smile faltering just a notch when she realizes it’s me, followed by the faintest scowl of confusion to see a man with me, before the wattage brightens once more. It’s like watching a light bulb dim slightly during a brown-out before it pops to life again.
“Hello, Owen. You’re right on time. And who is this?”
My mouth feels like shit-flavored cotton. “Mom, I’d like to introduce you to Carter Wilson. He’s my roommate, and he’s also pre-law. Carter, this is my mother, Elandra Marriott Solemar.”
I’m always to include her maiden name. If I don’t, I’ll catch holy hell for it. I hate that it’s my middle name. For the rest of my life, I’m inextricably tied to her by my name.
Now that she knows who he is, his relation to me, anger briefly flares in her eyes and I struggle to remember everything Carter told me about not interfering.
For his part, Carter turns on the charm in a way I’ve never seen him do before.
“Mrs. Solemar, it’s so very nice to finally meet you. Owen’s told me so much about you.”
Damn. He’sgood. I can see her anger evaporate as she shifts into preening mode.
He’s held out his hand, and while I know she’s expecting him to shake with her, he actually kisses the back of hers while giving her a slight bow.
I can see it’s obviously derailed Mom’s usual comfortable responses. Hell, she even blushes a little. I stomp back my jealousy that Carter was able to make her smile like that when I would have killed for that kind of reaction from her about…
Well, anything.
“It’s very nice to meet you, too, Carter.” She notes our blazers. “If you want, you can leave your blazers in Owen’s room, on his bed. Owen, will you please show your friend around and introduce him?” She turns without waiting for a response.
I’m dismissed.
I turn to Carter and find him wearing a playful smile. Then he drops me a conspiratorial wink and I take a deep breath.
“First barrier—passed,” I mutter, earning me a chuckle from Carter as he falls into step behind me.
Chapter Sixteen
Apparently, Mom’s positive first impression of Carter means she won’t make me suffer much more than she normally does for bringing him. After I find Austin and introduce Carter, I find myself slipping into my usual patterns—checking to see if anything needs refilling, making sure the garbage cans aren’t over-full, and in general doing whatever I can to make myself invisible and of use so I don’t grab Mom’s attention.
Which only works for a few minutes. I suspect Austin is brown-nosing for a bump from junior to senior partner, hence this shindig. He drags me into a clutch of people to introduce me as his “son” and proudly boast how I’m going into law, just like him.
