Page 35 of Unbroken

“She invited me over for dinner,” she said through a shiver.Her voice and the cold air whipping in through the door made me spring into action.

“Come in,” I said, opening the door wider and stepping to the side.

Cautiously, she stepped over the threshold and stood right inside the door, giving me only enough room to close it.

“You said she invited you over for dinner?”

Blakely nodded.

“Are you sure she…” The pieces began to fit together, and I cursed under my breath. “I’ll be right back. You can, umm…make yourself at home.”

The words sounded weird, but that was what people usually said, right? When they had guests over and were trying to be polite?

Blakely took another step into the house, glancing around at our quaint space. I pivoted, ready to march back into my mother’s bedroom and demand to know what the hell was going on. But when I turned, I almost ran her over instead.

She quickly recovered, stepped around me, and greeted Blakely with a warm smile and open arms.

“Blakely, you’re here. Did you find the place okay?”

“Umm…” Blakely stuttered. “Yeah, I did.” She released my mom and stepped back until she was at arm’s reach. “You’re really dressed up for dinner here.”

“I’m so sorry, Blakely. I got my days mixed up. I promised a friend I would have dinner with her tonight. She’s going through a divorce, and…anyway, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to reschedule our dinner.”

Blakely’s cautious smile faltered, and sadness flitted over her features. There was a tight pang in my chest like I could feel that sadness, too.

But she recovered quickly. The smile didn’t reappear, but she didn’t look like she would crumble either. And I knew I would do anything to never see that look on her face again.

“Oh, yeah,” Blakely said. “It’s no problem. You can just let me know when you’re free.”

She brushed a hand over my mom’s arm and took a step toward the door. Her hand reached for the knob.

“Wait.” The word was out of my mouth before I could consider what I was doing.

Blakely stopped and peered at me over her shoulder. Wide, gray eyes met mine, and I had to force myself to swallow. “You can come with me.”

She turned, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom take a step back with a small smile on her face. Blakely straightened and reached behind her to grasp the back of her neck. Her hand fell to her side a moment later, and I held my breath, waiting for her response.

“Okay.” That was all she said. She didn’t ask for any details. I even waited another few seconds to see if she would, but she just held my stare.

“I can drive myself,” my mom said, a mischievous yet triumphant smile still tilting the corners of her lips.

She’d never admit it, but I knew it had been an elaborate setup. My ability to lock down my facial expressions wasn’t a trait I inherited from my mother. She was an open book.

She reached for her jacket on the bench near the door and grabbed her purse and keys. She promised to text Blakely, and as she stepped out the door, she yelled over her shoulder, “Have fun!”

The door clicked shut, and silence echoed through the house.

“Let me grab my jacket.” I waited for Blakely to nod, then I turned and walked through the living room to the kitchen. I grabbed my stuff from the kitchen table and shut off the lights.

I braced myself before I walked back into the entryway, but I stopped in my tracks when I rounded the corner. It was like she was an apparition. I still couldn’t believe she was there.

Blakely’s back was to me, and she was scanning the framedphotos that Sydney made me hang on the wall above the long wooden table I’d made to perfectly fit the space.

Woodworking had been a solace. A way to fill the time and keep my hands busy.

Blakely’s eyes dropped to look down at the table. Her fingers carefully brushed over the edge, and I swore I could feel the touch over my shoulders and down my back. She traced the wood, circling a large knot in the center and dragging her fingers across it like she was admiring the craftsmanship.

I shivered and made sure my next step was loud enough that she heard me approach. That didn’t keep her from jumping ever so slightly when she heard me.

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