I give a watery laugh, attempt to casually wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand, and swat his arm.
“What areyoudoing here?”
His concerned gaze roves over my embarrassingly tear-stained face before he utters yet another secret into the darkness. “I try to come every year.”
The words are laden with meaning, and I see the truth in them. Recognize the effort to atone for the night he couldn’t. I’m so touched I can barely breathe.
We’re suddenly interrupted by four bodies joining us on the sidewalk.
Mom’s mouth slants in a disconcerted smile, but she has not yet noticed Brandon. Her eyes flick to see if anyone was disturbed by them crossing the street during the parade.
“What were you thinking, Katherine?” she hisses, eyes roving until they land on Brandon. “Oh.” She might as well have just said “Ew”.
“Mom, Dad, this is Brandon Roberts.” I continue to compose myself, checking my under-eyes for mascara trails. “We work together.”
Liza lights up like a Christmas tree, knowing exactly who he is.
“It’s…nice to meet you all.” Brandon’s eyes are wide, spanning across the faces he already knows so much about.
“Likewise.” Dad nods, then swivels back to the parade.
Cam begins to introduce himself as Mom tugs me away a few feet, words pressing rapidly against my ear.
“Did you cheat on Tanner with this man? Is that why he left you?”
I yank my arm away with an affronted laugh, but her accusation gives me pause. The hairs on my neck still prickle with the sensation of following eyes, reminding me that Hopefully Yours is likely watching me at this very moment. What if they saw me with another man? Would they give up? Move on?
I peek over my shoulder at Brandon standing with Liza and Cam, and my heart skips a beat at the prospect of being free from H.Y. Appeasing my mother, still staring daggers at me and simmering with anger, sounds pretty nice too.
Why not kill two birds with one fake boyfriend?
I almost open my mouth to let the lie spill out, but I bite my tongue.
The warm, charismatic smile splitting Brandon’s face sends a pang of longing through my lonely heart, and I realize just how bad of an idea this is. Sure, I can claim him as my boyfriend for the night, but what happens tomorrow? Or at the next family dinner? What happens when H.Y. sees me again often alone throughout the city?
Brandon laughs, deep and rich, and I move my teeth to the inside of my cheek. Something that feels a lot like friendship is healing between us, and it’s a connection I’ve begun to crave with alarming intensity. Can I really risk screwing that up? Or worse, risk breaking Brandon’s heart again—now that I know everything he’s been through?
He’s a wonderful man, one I refuse to use for my selfish purposes ever again.
“No, I didn’t cheat on Tanner,” I sigh, pulling away from her and returning to Brandon’s side.
Mom trails after me, sweeping her beady eyes between the two of us.
Her voice turns saccharine as she addresses Brandon. “I’m sorry, Brandon, was it?” She doesn’t wait for him to respond. “Exactly howlong have you been in a relationship with my daughter? Or is she truly single,again?”
Brandon chuffs a laugh, his puzzled eyes finding my startled ones. I don’t know what he sees in my expression, but his softens almost immediately. His eyebrows peak like a question, but I won’t ask him to do this. I can’t. Not when it risks us both getting hurt in the end.
I shrug as if to say,I’m a walking disappointment, remember?
Brandon seems to assess the gleeful smirk sprouting on Mom’s face before slinging a heavy arm around the curve of my waist. He pulls me against his gloriously-scented jacket before I have even a second to process.
Mom’s smirk slants into a confused frown, and he takes advantage of the silence.
“I’m sorry, I think I misunderstood your question. Yes, I’m Kate’s boyfriend.” He sweeps my mom’s leather glove into his hand. “You must be Liza, Kate’s sister. Kate’s told me a lot about you.”
Mom’s tittering laugh takes evenmeoff guard. “Oh, aren’t you sweet? No, I’m Vivian, Katherine’s mother.”
Brandon claps a hand to his chest with a self-deprecating laugh. “Well, it’s nice to meet you.”
