Attraction - a fraudulent marriage

19 - new chapter

This is an entirely new chapter of Attraction :) Please enjoy <3

I couldn't remember any other time I'd walked an entire day. We'd continued through the city, talking about stuff that might come up during an interview with the USCIS, but also silly shit that no one would ever ask us to repeat.

"You mean you've never been to an amusement park? That's just sad."

Tom wiped his mouth, finishing a bite of Ethiopian fast food. "Never did as a kid and haven't had reason to since."

"There's this small one in Stockholm, right in the city. Used to hang out there all summer when I was a teenager. They host a lot of concerts there too."

"What kind of music do you like?"

"Eclectic. I can listen to almost anything as long as there's rhythm and a good feel to it. These days I focus on electronic because that's what people want on the dance floor, but I don't discriminate. What about you?"

Tom winced as if he regretted asking the question in the first place. "Old stuff mostly."

"What kind of old stuff?" I wasn't surprised at all for some reason.

"Pops had a collection of vinyl. All the jazz he could find on a discount. He'd buy a new vinyl and a bottle of whiskey whenever he had a few coins after the bills were paid. I used to sit with him as a kid to get away from the house. We'd listen to Louis Armstrong and Pops would tell me these stories he'd heard. Probably all rumors."

I couldn't say anything for a few seconds. Tom had rarely said so many words together at one time.

It was hard to talk with the smile I wore. "Guess that's where you got your taste for whiskey then."

"Maybe. I remember when he let me taste for the first time. I think I was ten. Had to be brave so I swallowed even if it burned like nothing else."

It sounded like he missed his family, or at least parts of it.

He continued, strained this time. "Then Luke started to come around as well, too impatient to listen to jazz. He'd run around the house until Gran threw him out back to play with the dog."

"Luke?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"Luke's my little brother."

I took another bite of food, hoping he'd continue on his own. Prying wasn't my thing since I hated it when others did.

We were seated on a low wall, dangling our legs while the sun traveled toward the horizon. Others sat nearby, choosing the only seats available close to the food truck. It was not a private setting, but somehow it felt easier to open up beneath the sky with no walls around us. At least for me. I wasn't sure the same was true for him.

"I left him behind. My only regret really. He was fourteen, so I had no choice but to leave on my own."

So much pain. It seemed to seep out of his skin. Old wounds that hadn't healed at all. I settled my arm around his back, wishing there was some way I could make it better. In a sense, I felt that I'd left my family behind as well, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

He leaned into the touch. "Long time ago."

"Well, I know time is supposed to be a great healer and all that. But it sure doesn't work on regret." I tensed, wondering if I'd said too much. It wasn't meant as an accusation.

Tom remained silent. Worry began to churn in my stomach, twisting and turning while I watched his vacant gaze. But I'd learned long ago not to break important silences. Sometimes, people needed to assemble their thoughts. My aunt had never been very great at leaving me alone when I'd needed space, only to ignore me when I'd actually wanted her attention.