Page 97 of The Sweet Spot

I know I’m being a brat, but Arlo feels like he belongs to me, not my mom. Had all of this happened the way it does with regular families, they would’ve belonged to each other way before either of them belonged to me—but that’s not how it happened. It’s hard not to feel like the two of them went behind my back.

Although Mom did feel like I went behind her back when I first found Arlo, so maybe we’re even now? I don’t know. I wanted them to get along, but this might be a bit much.

Arlo just sighs. “I don’t know, honey.”

It’s the first time he’s called me that, and my heart thumps awkwardly. I grab a bag of chips, tearing it open. “Do you think you’ll come back?”

“Of course, I’ll be back.” He looks at me askance. “I want to be a part of your life.”

I blink at him, nodding. “Okay.”

“You look like you think I’m full of it.” He scoots closer. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just, you have a lot going on, so I wouldn’t be offended or whatever if you…” I shrug.

He gazes at me warily. “If I what?”

“Look, one of the reasons I was surprised Mom and you”— I wave my hand, not sure what to call what Mom and Arlo were doing when I caught them— “is because she fully believes that men don’t stick around. She’s said it my entire life—I mean, half the time she leaves them before they can leave her.”

Arlo nods slowly, listening.

“Getting that close to you just seems messy on her part—because of me.”

“Do you believe that, too? That men don’t stick around?” he asks, slipping his sunglasses up so I can see his eyes. “Seems like a pretty broad generalization.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know what I believe.”

“Do you want us to have a relationship, Wren? Me and you?”

I force myself to look him. His eyes, so much like mine. “Yes.”

“Good. Me, too.”

“I just don’t want things to go south if you and my mom get weird.”

“Me and your mom have nothing to do with me and you.” I raise myeyebrows, and he laughs, holding his hands up. “Let me rephrase that. I’m well aware that choosing to be intimate with Lily complicates things, but what happens, or doesn’t happen, from here on out with your mom and me has no bearing on this relationship right here.” He taps my hand. “Okay?”

“Okay.” I dig through the cooler, discovering a treasure trove of mini chocolate bars.Yum. Thanks, Mom. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

I pause, trying to figure out how to ask the question that’s been on my mind since the first message Arlo ever sent me on Kith&Kin. “Okay, this might be awkward.”

He grins wryly. “I think we’ve managed pretty well so far.”

“I probably should’ve just asked you this in the very beginning—”

“Out with it.”

“Okay, okay.” I nod. “So…do you, like, have other kids? That you know of?”

He shakes his head. “Not that I know of. Honestly, I’m surprised I have you.”

For some reason, I’m not expecting this. Straightening up, I pull my hand out of the cooler. “Why?”

“Because I only…donated…once.”

“What?” I shake my head, trying to understand while trying not to think about himdonating. “Why?”

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