Page 147 of The Snowball Effect

Emma stared at Regan over her Gone-with-the-Gin cocktail, unable to take her eyes away from her.

Somehow, this was her life. Somehow, she was here, on a date with Regan Gallagher, and feeling more charmed than she’d ever felt in her life.

Regan glanced up from the menu she was perusing to catch Emma’s eye. Arching an eyebrow, she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just…” She rolled her lips. “You read my favorite books.”

There was an awed note in her tone that she still couldn’t get rid of. And with it, a slow smile slid over Regan’s face. “I did. And it was a great choice. The only other books I’ve read in the last five years were ones Katherine wrote, but I actually liked that this was a different vibe.”

“Different genre,” Emma mused, too entertained by Regan referring to thegenreas a vibe.

“Right,” Regan agreed.

Emma took a moment to reflect, before she sighed, wistfully. “I can’t believe Katherine Spencer is Sutton’s mom. When I found that out, after a few weeks of knowing Sutton, I almost peed myself.”

Regan nearly choked on her own drink – a Tequila Mockingbird – with spluttering laughter. “Really?”

“Yes!” Indignance worked through her as she scoffed. “I mean,theKatherine Spencer is one of my favorite writers! Andsomehow, I happened into a friendship with her daughter? I’ve only met her a few times in the last couple of years, but I swear – each time, I’ve made a total fool of myself.”

Regan chuckled, dropping her chin into her hand as she stared at Emma over the table. “How so?”

“I mean, the last time I saw her was in May, the week after I moved in. You were at work, and there was a knock on the door, so I answered it. And, there she stood.” Emma could remember it vividly, and her stomach still churned in embarrassment. “As is par for the freaking course for every time I’ve interacted with this woman, I was awe-struck. When I wasfinallyable to talk like a normal person, I stared at her like a total idiot and told her that Sutton wasn’t home.”

Emma groaned softly at herself. “And she stared at me with, like, the sweetest smile – like I was a moron, but she didn’t want me to feel badly about myself or something – and saidI know that my daughter is in Rome; I’m looking for Regan. Like, obviously, she knew her daughter was in fucking Rome.”

Regan’s guffaw of laughter forced a chuckle from Emma, even as she could feel herself blush.

When she looked back at Regan, she was taken aback by the soft, sweet look she wore. “Ahh, and the she came and saw me at Topped Off; I remember.”

“And I think you went out to dinner with her.” Emma’s detailed recollection of Regan’s comings-and-goings from months ago wasn’t lost on her.

“I did,” Regan confirmed. “I usually do when she’s in town.”

“Even if Sutton isn’t,” Emma slowly muttered, trying to put together the picture being displayed in front of her.

Regan nodded, easily. “Oh, yeah. I mean…” She rolled her lips, that smile on her lips fading just a bit. “I wasn’t very close to my own parents, growing up. Like I told you. But I latched onto Katherine like a second mom, and I think she knew that I didn’treallyfitat my house, because she treated me like her sixth kid. Family vacations, holidays, birthdays – any time I could get away from my house, I would. And my dad worked for Sutton’s dad and really respected him, so, they let me go to the Spencersa lot. I think…” Regan rolled her lips, her eyebrows knitting together in thought.

“I think they liked it, that way. They trusted I was in good hands with Katherine and Jack, and they didn’t have to deal with me, so it was a win-win. At least, that’s how it always felt.” Regan’s tone turned pensive and heavy, as she shrugged. “Anyway, I think I spent literally at least fifty percent of my adolescence sharing Sutton’s bedroom.”

Much like the first time Regan had shared information about her past and her family with Emma, she found herself utterly riveted. It was the same feeling she had when she was reading a great book – she hated the idea of putting it down the same way she hated the idea of Regan not sharing every little detail with her.

Also much like that time, Emma felt this unfamiliar but undeniable anger well up at the idea of Regan’s parents.

She didn’t quite know what to do with that, honestly. She’d never felt so – so defensive over someone else, before.

Emma didn’t actually need to process it right now, though, as Regan shrugged and pushed past it. “But, yeah. Katherine usually makes a point to check in with me when she’s in town. She texts or calls me every few weeks, too. And she usually does like to swing by and see the apartment,” Regan gestured at Emma, recalling her interaction with Katherine. “Which makes sense, since she pays a third of the rent.”

Surprised and confused, Emma reeled back. “What?”

Regan slowly tilted her head at Emma, also looking confused. “You didn’t know?”

“Like… she pays a third of the rent evennow? When Sutton’s not there?” Emma pressed, trying to wrap her mind around the possibility.

She’d assumed that Sutton’s parents paid her share of the rent, given what a nice apartment it was, in a good neighborhood, and Sutton certainly didn’t make enough to pay half of the rent from what she took home as a teaching assistant; Emma would know. But…

“Yeah,” Regan confirmed, taking a sip of her drink. “When I moved to the city – freshly into the summer as a college dropout – I went out and got into an apartment. Kind of like your last setup; I found three randos online that were looking for a fourth person to rent out a bed. It was atotalshithole. I think someone had possibly been murdered there? Not to mention the cockroaches.” She shuddered.

Emma’s attention snapped right back into riveted mode, as soon as the conversation turned back to Regan. That alone told her everything she really needed to know. And, of course, Regan shuddered in disgust at thecockroachesrather than the murder scene.

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