Page 157 of A Little Complicated

“Hey, Kovu,” I murmur, scratching the fluffy German Shepherd behind his ear. “You scared the crap out of me.” After Uncle Henry bought Aunt Mia one when they were dating, the breed stuck, and the Buchanans have owned a German Shepherd ever since. He licks my palm, and his tongue lolls out on one side while his long tail swishes back and forth as he greets me.

At least someone is genuinely happy to see me.

“Ophelia!” a warm, feminine voice calls from the sliding glass door.

I look up, barely holding back my gasp of surprise as I stare at Archer and Maverick’s mom. I’ve been avoiding her—well, everyone, actually—since I first arrived, but it seems my luck has run out. Why am I not surprised?

Wiping my sweaty hands against my shorts, I stand and lean my hip into the wrought-iron railing lining the gray Trex patio.

“Hey,” I greet her, but my voice comes out squeaky like a mouse.

“What are you doing hiding out here?”

Gripping the railing behind me, I answer, “Just, uh, getting some fresh air.”

With a nod, Aunt Mia glances back into the house, steps outside, and closes the sliding glass door behind her. As she sways toward me, her flowy, white dress leaves her tattoo sleeve on full display, blowing in the summer breeze. She has other tattoos sprinkled over the rest of her body, but the sleeve is a thing of beauty. When I was little, I often crawled onto her lap and traced the ink with my fingers while she told me the stories behind why she chose each and every design. I always loved those moments.

Aunt Mia is pretty much the opposite of who you’d expect a suave billionaire like Henry to marry, but they couldn’t be more of a perfect fit for each other. If I wasn’t raised with her, I’d say she’s one of the most intimidating people I’ve ever met, simply by the way she holds herself. Her head is always held high, and she doesn’t take anyone’s bullshit.

She’s also one of the people I look up to most, and the idea of disappointing her by admitting I broke one of her sons’ hearts is terrifying, especially when I don’t know what Archer told her or what kind of villain he painted me to be.

“I could use some air too,” Aunt Mia replies. “There are alotof people in my house. So, how are you? What’s new? Are you having fun with the Lady Hawks?”

“Uh, yeah.” I lift a shoulder. “Jaxon is keeping the girls’ team busy, and I’m trying to mentally prep for classes starting next week while juggling hockey and, uh…yeah,” I repeat, well aware of how stupid I sound, but I can’t help it. I stare at my feet and suck my lips between my teeth.

“You’re going to do great,” she gushes. “How’s Archer handling his internship?”

My brows tug, but I recover quickly. “I think he’s okay? Actually, from what I’ve seen, he’s killing it,” I clarify as another shot of remorse hits me. A better friend would be up to speed on the internship. But me? I was too distracted with his twin brother to ask him any detailed questions.

“Aw, that’s good,” Mia returns. “And how’s Mav?”

My pulse spikes. “Uh, I don’t—why do you ask?”

“You know how those boys are. They love their mama but also have a habit of being shitty at giving details.” She smiles and mirrors my stance, resting her lower back against the railing. “So, here I am, recruiting my son’s girlfriend to keep me in the loop. Tell me all the things.”

Girlfriend. As in…current.

Archer still hasn’t told her. I mean, I haven’t told my parents yet, either, but I figured he would’ve thrown me under the bus by now. He did with our friends. Why stop there?

But she doesn’t know.

Why doesn’t it make me feel any better?

Twisting my fingers together, I lie, “I’m not sure there’s much to tell.”

“Well, have they been nice to you? Looking out for you and everything?”

I nod. “Yeah, they’ve been great.”

“Good.” She pauses and adds, “You seem distant lately.”

I look at my feet again, unsure what to say. I have been distant lately. With everything going on, most days, I feel like I’m a chicken running around with my head cut off, but it doesn’t make it okay.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I guess I’ve been overwhelmed trying to prepare for fall semester and figure out where I belong with hockey and friends and…everything else.”

“I totally get it. Trust me, I was the queen of pushing people away when I was overwhelmed during college. Actually, pushing people away, in general, was kind of my forte,” she clarifies dryly. “But I’m here for you if you need anything. Even if Ididn’tthink of you as my daughter, I’d still be here.” Her mouth lifts. “And so are my boys.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “And yeah, Archer and Mav are really great guys. Pretty sure I don’t deserve either of them with how often I test their patience.”

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