Healing Takes Time

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"This is your last chance," I told Marco. "We can turn around right now and go do something else."

We were walking across the highway to get to my cabin. We mostly screwed around the rest of the day. Not literally, of course. He had to ask his mom if it was okay to have dinner. She'd given a very Marco-ish smile and said that it was fine. Marco and I also had to watch Connie and Sasha today. That was a fiasco. I swear those kids cannot let me catch a break.

He smiled his signature smile. "Actually, we can't." He gestured as discreetly as possible to my father. He was hovering over a grill with a spatula. I was so glad he hadn't went out and bought some sort of embarrassing apron just to piss me off. That was something he'd do.

He looked up when he realized we were standing close by and gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Go on inside," he said more to Marco than me. I obviously already knew to go in.

Marco smiled, but I noticed the nervousness in his eyes. I reached out and hooked his pinky with my own before I realized what I was doing. He squeezed my finger with his own. Dad noticed the small movement. He raised an eyebrow in my direction but didn't say anything. I felt a blush creep up my face, and the urge to let go was strong, but I just held on tighter and lifted my chin fractionally. I wasn't going to run, and I also was not going to let my inexperience with people, especially around my parents, hurt Marco's feelings.

Dad just went back to whatever he was cooking.

I silently released a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

Marco and I went inside before anything else could be exchanged between the three of us. Almost immediately Connie decided to attack his leg. Jeez, was anything going to be easy tonight?

I closed my eyes briefly. "God dammit, Connie. Really?" I asked him as I looked down. He looked back up and stuck his tongue out at me. I sighed. Why couldn't I have had some better behaved siblings?

"Oh my gosh," Mom said as she came in from the bedroom. "Connie, come on. I know you're hungry, but we're gonna be eating soon--I can't give you anything right now."

He just looked up at Marco. Marco looked down at him. They locked eyes. Marco blinked. A moment seemed to pass between them or something because Connie's grip started to seem more like a hug before he let go and went to sit on the couch with a coloring book.

I cleared my throat. That was kinda weird, but what was I supposed to do now? Introduce them? They already knew each other.

Marco stepped forward with his hand outstretched, always being nice. Mom seemed surprised but put her own hand in his, using it to pull him into a hug. I couldn't see his face, but I'd bet twenty bucks that he was shocked.

Mom pulled back and smiled at him. "Thank you for coming."

He was still a little dazed, but he managed to smile back sweetly. "Thank you for having me." My stomach did a weird flop. I mentally told it to settle down. Now was not the time to start acting like a lovestruck sucker!

I bit my lip. "What's for dinner, Mom?" I asked to get some form of conversation moving, so we wouldn't have to stand here and stare at each other awkwardly.

She shifted her attention from Marco to me. "Your father is making burgers and hot dogs. I'm making corn on the cob. We're also having peaches."

I narrowed my eyes. "You are making the corn?"

Marco looked confused. Mom just waved her hands in the air. "Calm down, Jean boy. Your father wrote down specific instructions for me--it'll be fine."