Page 60 of Ticket to You

From the corner of my eye, I see Micah roll his eyes at Jude. Eloise swats him against his shoulder.

“I’m a journalist,” I correct gently, “forAtelier Today.”

“Yes, yes. A journalist. Quite the accomplishment.”

David’s voice sounds sincere, but Jude lets out a bark of a laugh. My skin prickles.

“Thank you, Mr. Abr–David.” I search for an appropriate compliment to trade, preferably not one along the lines ofYou have a really sexy son. “Your home is beautiful. I’ve never been in one like it.”

“This is Naomi’s home, but I agree, this place is…quite something.” He winks like he knows how overwhelming this must be for me. “Speaking of Naomi, have you met her yet?”

At the mention of their mother, Adam’s brothers snicker at one another and look at me like I’m a lamb to slaughter.

“I haven’t had the pleasure yet, no,” I say, hiding my nerves with a smile.

“Oh, it’ll be a pleasure, all right,” the middle brother, Micah, says.

David shoots him a warning look before setting a hand against my upper back. He guides me through the room, weaving between the wide-eyed guests, to search for his ex-wife. I did a fair bit of Facebook stalking, so I’m able to recognize Adam’s mother immediately. Her hair and eyes are inky black. The lights reflect off her shiny twists of curls like the moon on a dark ocean’s ripples. Her olive skin is blemish-free and tasteful makeup emphasizes her strong features. She’s in pleated pants, a thin turtleneck, and a plaid blazer.

Maybe I should have gotten even the smallest of wrinkles out of my blouse after all.

Adam, who is already in front of his mother, notices me approaching and looks at me apologetically. But beyond his wrinkled brow, his body is rigid and his mouth is in a tight line, reminding me of the Adam I met three months ago. He stares at me, completely ignoring his mother’s rambling tongue. As we get closer, I can pick up on her babbling.

“Blythe isbrilliant. She was one of my brightest students. I’m still heartbroken I couldn’t sway her to change her major to English.” Adam’s mother touches the shoulder of the petite girl beside her. “You justhadto stay focused on that pre-law track, didn’t you?”

Law?Adam doesn’t look impressed, but I sure am.

Blythe flips her red hair behind her shoulder and bats her emerald eyes. “Law school was always the goal. But there is something soromanticabout literature, don’t you think, Adam?”

He says nothing, his eyes still on me. I don’t think he even heard what she said.

“Don’t you think?” Blythe says again, pointedly, grazing Adam’s forearm to try to reel him in into the conversation.

Adam flinches against her touch. “Hmm? Yes, sure. Would you mind giving my mother and me a moment? It was nice to meet you…”

The woman folds her arms over her chest. “Blythe.”

“Uh-huh,” Adam says, his gaze already back on me.

Blythe turns to leave, and Adam looks away just long enough to send a quick glare to his mother.

“You’re unbelievable,” he grumbles under his breath.

Probably seeing where their conversation is headed, David steps in, patting Adam’s back to cool his frustration. Adam exhales sharply and pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opens them again, he tries to look composed. But I can still see a flicker of anger on his face. I’m sure his parents can, too.

“Mom,” Adam says, his voice so tense it sounds like it could snap, “I would like you to meet Ophelia Brooks, mygirlfriend.” He grabs me around the waist and pulls me to his side, angling his body in front of mine, almost as if protecting me.

Naomi looks at me for the first time. Just like her sons did, she scans me up and down unapologetically, evaluating everything from my hairstyle to the wrinkles in my shirt to my shoe choice. When her eyes reach mine again, she offers an unconvincing, closed-mouth smile. After a long moment, it’s clear she won’t break the silence.

I stretch out my hand, and she takes it, shaking it once. “It’s a pleasure,” I say.

“Yes. Well, if you’ll excuse me,” she says, turning away without so much as a “hello.”

Adam’s face hardens, and he flexes his jaw. He looks like he’s ready to make a scene, but before he can, David smiles and slaps my shoulder lightly. It feels like a very “Dad” move. “Ophelia, I would love to introduce you to some friends.”

I nod and step away from Adam, letting his arm drop back to his side. He flexes his fingers and sets his jaw. “I need to go talk to my mom,” he says.

Adam’s eyes flit up from mine and dance around the room for a moment. I don’t need to turn to know that there are at least a dozen pairs of eyes on us.

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