“She’s exaggerating.” His dad winked at him. “She only scared two.”
Any remaining anxiety disappeared at his dad’s comment. If his parents were joking around as usual, his dad had been right when he said there wasn’t anything to worry about.
“Do you know when you’ll go home?” He’d never spent the night in a hospital as an adult, but he imagined it wasn’t the most comfortable place to be.
“We’re not sure. How long are you staying?”
“At least until you’re home.”
“Good. I’ve missed you. Did your girlfriend come with you? And don’t deny you’re with someone. Michayla showed me the pictures of the two of you in the Star Report.”
Michayla Simmins had been the housekeeper for as long as he could remember, and she had an unhealthy obsession with social media. When she found photos or read articles about him or the band, she always shared them with his mom.
“By the way, you look cute together.”
Cute? No grown man should be called cute, not even by their mother. Evidently, his mom hadn’t gotten the message.
“Liv isn’t with me. She had to work this weekend, so she couldn’t come to the wedding. But hopefully we can visit in the fall.”
At the word “wedding,” his mom cringed. “Speaking of Adam’s wedding, avoid visiting your aunt and uncle while you’re here. They’re livid that Adam went against their wishes. I’ve never seen them so angry.”
Aunt Shannon and Uncle Benjamin had always been his least favorite, and their recent behavior had only solidified their placement at the bottom. “I didn’t plan on visiting them.”
Other than his parents, he hadn’t thought about seeing anyone else while in California.
“How was the wedding? We would’ve loved to go, but we understood why Adam didn’t invite us,” his mom asked as a nurse entered holding a tiny cup.
While the nurse administered his mom’s medication and checked her vitals, he pulled out his phone to read the text message he’d received. Rather than finding one from Liv, though, he saw a message from his agent.
After replying, he pulled up Liv’s number.
Matt: Did you end up working today?
“The wedding was nice. Fairly low key,” Aiden answered. “I was surprised you weren’t there, Sophie.”
“Chase and I already had plans. I wanted to cancel, but I couldn’t convince him. He can be stubborn.”
More like pigheaded. For the most part, his cousin’s husband seemed like a decent guy, but there was no changing his mind about anything.
“Theo just texted me,” his dad said, setting his phone down. “They’re going to be here in about ten minutes.”
His dad’s use of the word “they’re” meant one thing—Theo wasn’t alone.
“Hey, Matt, I’m starving. What do you say we go get something to eat and come back later?” Aiden asked.
He had no desire to stick around and see who was with Theo. “Sounds like a plan. Sophie, do you want to come with us?”
His cousin’s eyebrows bunched together, and her gaze moved between Matt and Aiden. “Love to. Chase won’t be home until late tonight.”
Sophie clearly found it odd that they were leaving without waiting to see Theo first. If the tables were reversed and she was hightailing it out of there when her sister would arrive in a matter of minutes, he’d find it suspicious too. And once they were alone, Matt knew she’d question them about it.
“Do you want us to bring you anything when we come back?” Hospitals weren’t known for their delicious meals, and Matt knew his mom was a picky eater.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll run out later and get something for us,” his dad assured him.
“Well, if you change your mind, call me.”
He expected questions from Sophie before they reached the elevator. However, she remained silent until they stepped outside.
