Page 102 of On My Side
“Audrey?” My mom asks, eyes darting between the two of us. “I didn’t know you knew Ren.”
“You mean Kat’s former best friend who was always around when I was a kid?” I throw my arm around Audrey’s shoulder and pull her into my side. “Yep. Her daughter is one of my private students.”The daughter she was pregnant with when you threw her out to the wolves, assholes.
“I thought you weren’t teaching private lessons anymore?” Mom says, and goddammit, of course that’s what she’s gonna focus on.
“I made an exception for Piper,” I answer calmly.
“Piper?” Mom asks, her gaze turned to Audrey. “Is that…?”
“My daughter,” Audrey finishes, and my heart breaks at the forced smile on her face. “Sorry to cut this short, but I should be going. I have a lot of laundry to do and…”
“Come to Thanksgiving dinner,” my mom blurts out, and judging by the expression on her face, I can’t tell who’s more surprised by the words that came out of her mouth—her, or the rest of us.
“Oh, I…” Audrey stammers, her fingers tapping nervously against her ceramic mug.
“The three of us will be working at the inn that day. Audrey owns the SandPiper Inn—did you know that? We’ll be working because it’s tradition for her and Piper to eat cheesecake for breakfast and then work so more of her employees can have the day off. I’m doing that too this year.” I breathe deeply once I’ve finished word vomiting.
Mom’s eyes are sad, and I have to avert my gaze. “You’re not coming to Thanksgiving?”
“Kat doesn’t come to Christmas Eve anymore because they spend it with Steve’s family. Alex will stay in LA. You don’t need me there, and believe it or not, not everyone wants Audrey to suffer on her own,” I snap, daring to meet my mom’s eyes. Her eyes widen as she realizes what I’m saying, what I know. And that just eggs me on. “Not everyone is—”
“Lorenzo.” Audrey’s voice is muffled beneath her scarf and barely audible above the pounding in my head and the crash of the waves of the shore. She slips her hand into mine and squeezes gently.
God, I’m an asshole, aren’t I? She doesn’t need a protective, macho man to rescue her from a dragon. She deserves a partner who stands beside her, helps her navigate the flames, and avoid getting burnt in the future.
I glance at our hands, at her black mittened hand in mine.
Mine.
I inhale deeply. “We’re spending Thanksgiving at the inn, but if Audrey wants to, maybe she and Piper could come for dinner tomorrow?”
I look at Audrey, gauging her reaction. She uses her free hand to pull her scarf beneath her mouth. “Piper and I would love to come for dinner, Mrs. Quinn.” She squeezes my hand again and I need my parents to leave so I can tell this woman how brave she is, how her bravery makes me want to be braver, too.
I sneak a glance at my father, who is doing a hilariously bad attempt at hiding a smirk behind his fist.
“That would be lovely,” Mom says, and I have to hand it to her, she sounds genuine, but I still won’t be letting Audrey or Piper out of my sight that night. I need to know they’re safe and are being treated with the kindness they should have received fifteen years ago. “Lorenzo, you must be freezing. Why don’t you wear pants when you run?”
Aaaaaaand overprotective Italian mom strikes again.
“I will,” I say to appease her. But Audrey squeezes my hand, and I find that desire to be brave once more. “Actually, I’m fine in shorts and a hoodie right now. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I can take care of myself.”
I feel the reassuring squeeze of Audrey’s hand again, and this time, I know it’s her telling me I did good.
My therapist is gonna be so proud of me.
Finally, my parents continue on their way to the courts where they’re meeting friends for a few games of pickleball, and I turn to Audrey.
“We don’t have to go tomorrow,” I tell her gently. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to spend any time with them.”
“Ren.”
God. I love her voice. Maybe I can convince her to make me a recording I can get off to, or fall asleep to, or…
“I always admired how close your family is, how much you care about each other. I always thought one day I’d grow up and get married and create a family that loved each other that much. I don’t want to be in between you and them. I’m not going to tell you not to spend Thanksgiving with us, because to be completely honest, I’d love to show you the ropes at the inn and to spend it together. But if it’s possible to mend something instead of throwing it away altogether, shouldn’t we put the effort into that? Instead of coming between you and your family, I’d like to see if maybe Piper and I can become part of it.”
Her mouth is still uncovered, so when I pull her soft body into mine, I’m easily able to kiss her long and hard. “You make me want to be better,” I say after breaking the kiss and burrowing my face in her shoulder. “You make me…god. I don’t know. You make me want to be kinder and more patient, and as good as you. As brave as you.”
Because why wouldn’t I want to be more like the person I love? To encompass everything she is?
