Booker: Don’t worry about me, kiddo. I’m fine.
Em: Then I’m gonna ask if I can stay the night. And her dad can’t cook for shit, so I bet we’ll order in. A night without the parents and Thai food for dinner. I’ll take it.
Booker: Love you, Em.
Em: Back at you, Book.
“Who are you texting?” my dad demands. “Please tell me you’re not sharing family business with your roommates. Nothing that happens in this house is any of their concern.”
I look him in the eyes. “I’m texting Emersyn. She’s spending the night at Dara’s, in case you care. She’s in good hands, Fallon’s gone, and I’m heading back to school.”
“Oh, Booker,” my mom pleads. “I was going to make your favorite, lasagna.”
I don’t point out that my favorite is actually salmon, and that if I do eat lasagna, it’s made with zucchini instead of pasta. “Sorry, I’ve gotta go,” and before I can change my mind, before guilt can ground me here, I turn and walk through the dining room, through the foyer, and out the front door.
I’m halfway back to school when my breathing returns to normal. I haven’t checked my phone, but I keep checking the rearview, half-convinced I’m going to see Dad’s car tailing me.
But that’s not really his style. He doesn’t chase people. Oh, I’ll pay for my defiance. He’ll freeze me out, somehow, or turn his vitriol on Mom, and convince her that tonight’s disaster was her fault. She’ll call and guilt me into apologizing. Yeah, that sounds about right.
But I don’t want to think about my family right now. I just want to forget, to zone out. I could hit the gym or punish myself for an hour or two on the ice. But tonight, I need comfort. And maybe it’s wrong, but I know just where to find it.
* * *
I walk into Drip,but Ian’s not behind the counter. My heart drops, and that should be a red flag. I’m becoming dependent on our friendship, and that’s not fair to him. What did I think—that I’d visit him at work and he’d make the crap of this day disappear?
I don’t have time to answer my own question or berate myself further because I spot Ian in a chair by the window. He waves me over, his smile a magnet that pulls me forward.
“Hey, Booker, what brings you here? Need some green tea?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “Maybe? I just…” And once again, I’m a lost boy and he’s coming to my rescue. He directs me to sit, so I do, watching as he strides up to the counter and orders me a drink. He’s always taking care of me. I shouldn’t let him, but it feels good not to have to make decisions for a minute.
I close my eyes, willing the world away so I can get a grip. When I open my eyes, Ian is standing in front of me, placing a steaming mug of tea on the table next to me. “It’s the same as the tea I made you last time,” he tells me. “You seemed to like it, so that’s what I had Theo make. But if—”
“It’s perfect,” I say, taking a tentative sip.
“Rough night?”
“My birthday is off to a pretty crappy start,” I say, running a hand through my hair.
“Your birthday? I should be buying you something stronger than tea, I guess.”
“Nah, I don’t drink in season, though I’ll probably make an exception tomorrow. That’s my real birthday. I went home for a family dinner that was really just a showdown between my parents and my sister.”
“That’s tough. Whose side are we on?”
“Team Fallon,” I tell him. “Anyway, I was there all of twenty minutes before coming back to campus. I should probably head back to The Chapel or get some time in at the gym, but…my car just kinda drove here, you know?”
He nods. “You need a distraction, and I have just the thing. Trust me?”
The funny thing is, I do. No matter what this distraction is, I’m in. That should scare the crap out of me, but I’m so freaking tired and stressed that I’m willing to let Ian take the lead.
* * *
Ian
This is fine, I tell myself. We’re just friends, hanging out. Grabbing a quick dinner. No big deal.
But maybe it’s a medium-sized deal? After all, he’s sort of my student. But, Hannah and I have had plenty of meals and chats with students in the psych department. It’s just dinner, not a marriage proposal. It’s not even a fancy dinner at that, I think as I pull into the lot of the strip mall. Booker takes the space next to mine, and I can see the questioning look on his face when he sees where we are.
