We nod.
He’s right, and I’m thankful for it. It took me forever to find my mom. It wasn’t until I saw it on the news that we found out about the crash. I had no way of knowing, and I don’t ever want to feel that useless again.
“The question here is, why didn’t you ask instead of stalking me?”
Aspen sighs, taking the baby out of Daisy’s arms again, snuggling with her on the recliner. That man loves babies. “Because you’ve been lying, and I don’t know why.”
I shake my head, pinching my nose. Oliver drags a stool out, signaling for me to take it, and sits on the one across from me. Lucas gets sodas and beers out of the fridge, handing me the soda and tossing one to Liam and Joe, and cracking his beer open.
“What’s up?” Mateo asks from the couch. They won’t drop it. They won’t let it go, and I both hate and love them for it.
“There is a girl,” I add and take a sip of my soda.
“I knew it!” Aspen shouts, startling the baby. When Daisy narrows her eyes at him, he apologizes. “Sorry, continue.”
“But it’s not what you think.” They all wait for me to continue, but I don’t even know what to say.
“I met her a few weeks ago, and we…talk. I like talking to her.” I narrow my eyes at all of them, raising one finger. “You know when people go to a bar and talk to the bartender like a therapist? It started like that, but now we’re friends, I think.”
“Oooooh. Friends to lovers. Hell yeah!” Aspen shouts.
“What?”
“You know, in, like, romance novels.”
I sigh. “I don’t read romance, Aspen.”
His hands rest behind his head as he closes his eyes. “You should. Everyone should. I’ve learned so much reading them. If more teenagers read romance instead of whatever bullshit they read in school nowadays, we would have a shit-ton more respectful people.”
I clap slowly and dramatically. “Aspen West has grown up.”
He tosses a throw pillow my way. “Anyway. So you’re only friends?”
I nod.
“Why?” Oliver asks.
Because I’m damaged goods, and she has suffered through enough? Because I bring pain and hurt everywhere I go, and she doesn’t deserve that?
“Well, I don’t know. I don’t know if she’s actually ready to date and I…I don’t have much to offer her.”
“Oh, please,” Daisy mentions. “You’re a catch!”
“I agree,” Mateo adds.
“She has two kids and a late husband, and she doesn’t need one more broken thing in her life.”
“Oh, no, no, no. We’re not doing this,” Daisy says, sitting up straighter. “Would you tell that to Oliver if he dated again? That he’s broken?”
I shake my head.
“Would you tell that to her, your secret girl?”
“Natalie,” I whisper.
“Oh, I like that,” Daisy adds. “Well, would you tell Natalie that?”
I shake my head again.
