Page 105 of Everlasting Promises

“You’re not … ” Elaine squeezes her mouth into a tight line and flicks her eyes to Ben, then pastes on a fake smile. “Thank you. Does Benjamin have any decent wine? Not that cheap store-bought stuff.” She wrinkles her nose.

I smile sweetly. “Of course. He always keeps my favorite wine on hand.” I won’t tell her it’s only eight bucks a bottle. Then I turn to Ben’s dad. “And you?”

“I’ll have the same as Elaine.” Sheesh, it must cost extra for him to use his manners.

“Sure.” I spin on my heel, grab four wine glasses and fill them, then grab a juice for Evan.

Evan comes over, holding up his phone. “Elliott wants to know if I can stay the night.” It wouldn’t surprise me ifhetexted Elliott, looking for an escape.

I glance around the kitchen. It’s probably best if he’s not here, and it’s not like our plans for the evening haven’t already changed. But it would be rude if I left, and I don’t want to abandon Ben when he’s obviously on edge with his parents. I’ve heard of families who aren’t close and I guess I’ve witnessed it, but not this close up. It feels so foreign.

“Do you think they’d come and pick you up from here?” I lean closer and lower my voice. “I don’t want to leave Ben alone with his parents.”

Evan glances around the room. “I’ll ask. I don’t think you should leave him alone, either. His parents seem mean.”

I nod sadly while he texts Elliott.

“It’s bothersome that your son has a phone at such a young age and prefers to bury his face in it rather than converse with the adults in the room,” Robert remarks coldly.

Ben’s head snaps up, and his eyes narrow. “What conversation, Dad? I’m feeding Rex. You and Mom are sitting at my table looking fearful that you’re going to catch a disease at any moment. You’ve completely ignored Evan and Hope’s waiting on you like she’s the help,” he points out snappily.

Evan drops his gaze to his shoes. “I’m sorry.”

Ben moves closer and grips Evan’s shoulder. “You don’t need to apologize. You weren’t doing anything wrong.”

Once I have the drinks and some snacks on the table, we all sit. Evan tucks his phone away, knowing Elliott’s mom is on her way. He has an escape from Ben’s parents, and I can almost feel relief washing over him. I almost wish I had an escape plan, too, and I’d bet anything Ben would rather spend time with anyone but them, which makes me sad.

I wonder what his childhood was like—and how he turned out to be so wonderful.

Elaine’s eyes shift between Ben, Evan, and me. “So, how did you meet?”

Evan looks at me like he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but Ben just chuckles. “I met Evan first. His friends had abandoned him at a gas station, and he needed a ride home. He and Rex became fast friends, and we all started spending time together.”

I discreetly blow out a relieved breath, grateful he didn’t mention Evan was caught shoplifting. I already feel as though his parents have judged us harshly for some unknown reason. I’d hate to think about what they’d say if they knew he’d broken the law.

Elaine purses her lips and raises a single eyebrow. “You have a phone. Why didn’t you call your mother?” she questions Evan.

“He didn’t have it with him,” I butt in, running my fingers through his hair to offer my support before Evan has to defend himself. A knock at the door interrupts at the perfect moment. “That must be Elliott. Say goodbye, Ev.”

We both stand and Evan says his goodbyes to everyone, then drops to bury his face in Rex’s neck to say goodbye to him. Ben’s dad watches on in sheer horror.

Once Evan’s gone, I draw in a deep breath and head back to the kitchen, pasting a smile on my face. “Anyone need a top-up?”

Elaine pushes her glass toward me. “Please.” The way she saysplease, like she won’t be able to survive another moment without wine, grates on my nerves. This is her son. Heronlyson. The son she hasn’t seen for six months. I can’t believe they’ve been here for a week and only decided, on their last night in the city, to contact him.

“I’m gonna order take?—”

I place my hand on Ben’s forearm to stop him. “I can cook dinner.” I force a smile. “Your parents have probably missed home-cooked meals since they’ve been traveling for so long.” I push to my feet, ready to prepare the dinner we’d already planned. We always make too much, so I’m not worried we won’t have enough food.

Elaine waves her hand in the air. “Don’t bother. The food is better atThe Four Seasons.” She pushes to her feet and checks her watch. “Robert, if we hurry, we can make our reservation. I’m sure they can add another setting to the table now the boy’s gone.”

Red tinges the edges of my vision. How dare she?

Ben pushes to his feet and leans his closed fists on the edge of the table. “Feel free to have your dinner atThe Four Seasons. We won’t be joining you. You’ve been nothing but rude and disrespectful, and I already warned you once.”

His mother waves her hand around dismissively and collects her purse. “Don’t be ridiculous. Let’s go.”

Robert pushes to his feet and silently follows his wife. I can’t move, my feet locked in place with shock at how this afternoon has gone.

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