Page 78 of All Her Broken Pieces

His green eyes pierce me with a look full of hope and awe. His face is so handsome that it’s hard for me to say no. Reluctantly, I agree, and together we head back to the restaurant hand in hand, my eyes fixed on him as we walk, for once not giving a fuck what anyone walking by might think.

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“Bridget, it’s so nice to meet you.” Ashley smiles warmly at me as she extends her hand. “Please, sit down and join us. Ethan has told me so much about you.”

I sit next to Ethan and smile awkwardly, unsure what to say.

“Mom, please don’t embarrass me,” he pleads.

“What? I’m just so thrilled to meet her. You’ve told me how beautiful and smart she is, and I can tell that she keeps you on your toes. I’m thrilled there’s someone out there giving you shit and keeping you honest.”

“It’s a full-time job keeping Ethan in check, so it’s nice to see I’m not the only one who gets to have a little fun with him. Right, pup?” I tease.

“There’s my favorite hellcat.” He squeezes my thigh under the table.

“Oh, I need to hear more about these nicknames.” Ashley laughs as she sips her drink.

“He tends to follow me around?—”

“Like a puppy?” She cackles, and it sends us all into a fit of laughter. “I’m sure he prefers pup to Pickle.”

“Hell yeah, I do,” Ethan chimes in. “And I call her hellcat because she gives me hell.”

“You like it.”

“I really do.” He beams at me.

“Gah, you two are so cute,” Ashley exclaims, and I shift a little in my seat, needing to address the elephant in the room before the pressure in my chest gets worse.

“And you don’t think it’s weird that we’re about the same age and I’m dating your son…well, stepson?”

“Honestly, if you’re both happy, I don’t care how old either of you are. You’re consenting adults, and my opinion has no place in your relationship. As women, we’re so hard on ourselves, let alone each other, and that saddens me. Don’t we get enough of that from the patriarchy? You wouldn’t believe how many people judge me because I was so young when I started having kids. Or because I’m divorced. Or because I’m almost forty and have a five-year-old, and honestly, I kind of want to have another baby before I’m too old to do so.”

“Really, Mom?” Ethan laughs. “I’m not changing any more diapers. You guys are on your own.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But I’m having fun trying.” She winks.

“Jesus Christ!” Ethan wails, and I can’t help laughing at his unease.

Ashley makes a “See what I’m talking about” gesture towards Ethan as if to prove her point before turning to him. “And she was worried about being judged. Look at you.”

He throws his hands up in defense, realizing the error he made. “I’m not judging. I just don’t want to hear about you and Dad bumping uglies.”

“That’s fair,” Ashley concedes. “So, how’d you two meet?”

“Mom.”

“What? I want to hear her tell it.”

Shit. Telling his mom we had a one-night stand that turned into a Nurse Nightingale situation is not exactly how I planned to spend my evening.

“We, uh, we met at a club,” I answer, shoving several fries into my mouth to avoid any follow-up questions.

Ethan makes a “See, I told you so” movement with his head, and I laugh at how he and his mom think their silent conversations aren’t obvious. I guess he’s able to read more than just me.

CHAPTER25

Ethan

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