“Plans to sit at your computer screen until midnight? He’s just like his father that way,” she tells Penny. “A complete workaholic. Driven to a fault. You can sit at the computerafteryou’ve had dinner with us.”
“Mom,” Landon warns.
“You two discuss,” Penny says. “I’m going to use the restroom, if that’s alright.”
“First door on your right,” Kathleen says.
“Thanks.”
Penny’s heelsclack clack clackingagainst the hardwood cut through the sudden silence, and I hold my breath. Only when the bathroom door clicks shut does Kathleen voice her true opinion, the polite, doting mother front dropping in an instant.
“You’re being rude, Landon,” she snaps at her son. “We came all this way.”
“Yeah, unannounced,” Landon mutters.
“Landon, Penny is an amazing girl. She comes from a wonderful family, and she’s incredibly accomplished.”
“I’m not looking for a girlfriend. Or aredesign,whatever the fuck that means.”
Kathleen scoffs, clearly accustomed to getting her way. “Sometimes you boys don’t know what’s good for you, and it’s up to me to tell you so. You’re coming to dinner, Landon. End of story.”
The bathroom door opens before Landon can respond, and Pennyclack clack clacksback over. When the women turn their backs to me, I peek through the railing, briefly catching Landon’s eye before he looks away, almost dismissive. My heart sinks to my stomach.
“So?” asks Penny. “What did we decide?”
“Dinner it is,” says Landon, and I release a harsh breath, my entire body deflating.
Landon doesn’t glance back up at me, just flicks off the hallway light and follows the women outside, and it’s not long before I hear the Mercedes purr to life.
Sitting in the dark, I squeeze Snowball tight to my chest, trying to come to terms with my out-of-control feelings, doing my best to put a name to them. Disappointment. Hurt. Maybe even, dare I say it, jealousy? I attempt to shake them off and tell myself that everything’s fine. It’s not like Landon and I had crazy plans. We were just going to watch a show and eat pizza.
It wasn’t a big deal.
Then why does your heart hurt?
“It’s fine, Snowball,” I say, scratching behind her ear. “It’ll be more fun without him.”
Snowball whimpers. She doesn’t seem convinced, either.
I stream the premiere in my room, but I’d be lying if I said my heart was totally in it. When the episode’s over, I shut my laptop, sigh into the silence, and try not to picture Penny’s hand on Landon’s arm, leg, neck, cheek,anything.It’s late, but I take my time washing up, listening for the rumble of the garage and watching for the flare of headlights through the window.
I fall asleep before they ever come.
TWENTY-EIGHT
“Why didn’t you tell me who you are?” is the first thing I ask Randall when he stops by to collect Snowball. The moment he steps inside, she launches herself into his arms, yipping with excitement and licking his face. Randall smiles down at the dog, gently petting her head.
“Who I am?” he asks, glancing up at me.
“Yeah, that you’re RandallBishop. You’re, like, a rock star!”
Randall gives me aduhsort of look I don’t exactly appreciate. “Maybe you need to be more observant. Your generation’s too busy staring at their devices instead of taking in their surroundings. It’s sad, really.”
I nearly roll my eyes at that. Every time I see Randall on his porch, he’s glued to his phone, or his iPad, or his television. “Right. I’ll try to be more perceptive.” He doesn’t comment on my sarcasm. “So, did this ‘reunion’ you went to have anything to do with the band?”
“It was Flynn’s birthday,” he mutters. “Surprised he’s not dead yet, honestly.”
“Because of all the drugs you guys did in your youth?”
