Page 67 of Something Tangled Something True
“What the hell is a GILF?” Ryder asks, scrubbing a hand over his jaw.
“Grandma I’d like to fuck, obviously.Dios mio, how oldareyou?”Mamiasks.
“You know what? I like the confidence,” he says, nodding his approval as he picks up the next card.
Who has the most awkward middle school yearbook picture?
My eyes widen. I push out of the chair and run to the bookshelves, standing on my tiptoes to reach for the highest shelf housing our old yearbooks.
I find the year I’m looking for and pluck it down, taking a seat and searching through the list ofLs. Ryder’s picture is right next to mine, just like it was every year until he graduated. The school system here is small, so we didn’t have a ton of students. Everyone knew everyone, and the yearbook was in alphabetical order, not split between grades.
I pick up a card and set it in the middle of the table with theirs. “I’ve brought proof in case anyone triesto disagree with me.”
Mayte rolls her eyes, flipping the cards over. Four for me and only one for Ryder.
“I feel like I’m at a severe disadvantage here,” Teddy says, running a hand over the back of his neck.
“Then it’s a good thing Ryder picked a game where no one wins,” Mayte says, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s time for me to defend my honor,” I announce. “I knew neither of you would remember this picture; you’ve spent entirely too much time ragging on me for my sixth-grade photo, butthisis truly the stuff of nightmares.” I lay the book down in the center of the table, and Mayte leans over it, studying the pictures.
“Oh, Ry,” she clucks, shaking her head slowly. She takes one of the ones off the table and replaces it with a three. “It’s a good thing you’ve grown out of this,” she whispers to him, sitting up.
“Jesus, Ry. You had a bowl cut?” Levi asks in feigned horror.
I absolutely lose it, a cackle ripping through my chest. “It was so bad, Ry,” I whine, tears pooling in my eyes.
“Oh, god, it was,” he says. “I’m sorry for every time I made fun of you the year it rained before photos and your hair was three times bigger than your head.”
“Apology accepted,” I say, and he kisses my cheek, sparks tickling my skin.
His eyes roam the page and land on Lemmon. His shoulders start to shake, and he bites that full bottom lip. “The devil horns and red eyes were a good touch, Lols,” he chuckles, squeezing me to his side.
The first several questions are easy enough. They’re funny and lighthearted, but the further we get into the stack, the more I think Ryder is starting to realize what a bad idea this game might have been.
Chapter Forty-Five
IS IT HOT IN HERE?
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
I have never lovedIsabela more.
If not for her crying, our moms would still be seated here, and I’d have just about died. Levi and Teddy left shortly after with their usual crew when the rain let up, leaving Lola, Mayte, and me to dive into the hard stuff.
Who regularly dreams about someone else in the room?
Well, shit.
I pick a number three, lying it face down on the table. Lola flips all three cards over, and her eyes lock on mine, stealing the breath from my lungs. When she releases her gaze, I gulp at the air.
It’s wild what one look from Lola Lima can do to a man. Tome.
“So, Ry, what have you been dreaming about? Is it me?” Mayte asks, batting her lashes to stifle some of the tension building in the room.
The night winds down, only a few stragglers remaining. My dad’s friends all sit around the table, playing poker and smoking cigars with him and José.
The room feels smaller without the cacophony of voicesand laughter. While love in this family can be loud at times, the quiet makes every unspoken word louder.
