He isn’t going to like that idea, and I can easily imagine the fight that’ll start. Rob can get mean when we disagree. He always apologizes, but over the years, I’ve learned not to start anything.
But this is something I can’t let go.
“You’ll help with this, right?”
“Of course I will. He needs pressure from all sides.”
“Definitely.” I bump my shoulder against hers. “Thank you. I really needed this. Should we get back to the movie?”
She nods right when a text comes through her phone. After pulling it out, her smile fades. “Actually, can we finish this another time? Mom has something else for me to do.”
I’m really starting to dislike Andrea. But Quinn doesn’t need to know that.
“Absolutely.”
She apologizes for our night being cut short and hugs me one more time before she has to leave. She’s gone by the time that she was supposed to arrive, and my stomach is still in knots about my living situation.
At least I have backup. And Nate will be on my side once I tell him.
I finally decide to get out of my work clothes. I swap my slacks for pajama pants and my top for a button-up, part of a set. But I don’t feel better.Things feel so off even though I’ve gotten reassurance that I’m right when it comes to where I move.
Out of habit, I pull up Nate’s location. He should still be at the bar, and I wonder how long he’ll watch Rob.
The stalking of my best friend is interrupted by a FaceTime call from my mom.
“Hi, guys,” I say. “What’s up?”
My mom and dad live in my childhood home about thirty minutes away. Mom works at the same school Nate does and Dad is a carpenter. Mom volunteers with her free time, but still schedules her shifts to be the same as Dad’s. They would have just gotten home and finished dinner by the time they called me.
“Hi, honey,” Mom says with a smile. “I hope I’m not interrupting your movie night.”
“Quinn had to leave early.Andrea.”
Mom nods. “She’s a ... special woman, isn’t she?”
I hear my dad huff and I know he’s sitting next to her, ready to enter the conversation whenever he has an opinion. He always does this when Mom is on a video call, purely because he hates seeing himself on a camera. But I can picture him. His arms are crossed tightly and he’s probably doing all he can to keep his face straight. He makes it a habit to be as stoic as he can be. There are some things that he lets loose on, though.
His hatred for Andrea is one of them.
“I feel the same as you, Dad. Hope you had a good day at work.”
“It was decent.” That’s all he says. It’s about all I’ll get from him too. I know he loves me and I love him. He’s just a man of few words.
“What’s Nate up to?” Mom asks. “I’m sure he would help salvage your night if you asked.”
“Nate’s out. He had plans.”
“Does he have another date?” She gets close to the camera. “You’ll have to tell me how it goes. I’ve beendyingfor him to not be single anymore! He’s far too handsome for that.”
Once upon a time, they’d thoughtIwas the one for Nate, but with me staying with Rob for a decade, Mom’s been hoping Nate would find someone too.
“Not with a woman, unfortunately. It’s a date with ... himself.”
I don’t usually lie to my parents, but I know they’ll have questions about why he feels the need to make sure Rob doesn’t say or do anything stupid. They have the same worry as Nate does, that Rob will betray me and we’ll break up.
It’s been long enough to prove that wrong.
He’d agreed to no strippers. He said this was just a night with the guys where he would let loose and have fun. Things werefine. And the twisting in my stomach is just Nate’s worry bleeding into me and the fear of fighting with Rob over where to live. That isall.
