Page 131 of Attached At Heart
“Robert,” my mom chastised. Her eyes cut sharply to him, but he ignored her, too focused on swirling his wine. A muscle jumped in her jaw before she said, “We’ll talk about this later. This matter isnotsettled.”
“Can’t wait,” my dad muttered, thick with sarcasm.
I almost smiled.
No, Ididsmile.
Even though my mom had made it clear that the conversation surrounding the inheritance was not done, I felt lighter than I had in years. And while it was my dad’s comment that had made me smile, I knew there was only one person at this table who I had to thank for that.
And I was pretty sure I was in love with him.
ten years ago
DELANEY
I stared down the row of seats in the lecture hall at Blake.
We always put a healthy number of seats between us because neither of us knew how to shut up and focus on the lecture if we sat right next to each other. But right now, I didn’t need to say anything for him to understand what I was communicating. I shot him a look, and he winked back at me, a tiny smile playing on his lips.
The lecture had barely even gotten underway, and he’d already taken the slides from today, created a Quizlet from the notes, and sent me the flash cards.
I was both irritated and grateful.
I grabbed my phone, ignoring the rules I made for myself about staying off technology during class unless it was relevant to the content.
The rules didn’t count when it came to Blake.
I don’t even want to know how you managed that.
BLAKE: I wanted to see if I could beat how quick you got it done for anatomy dissection.
I wrinkled my nose because anatomy dissection was my least favorite subject at the moment, and then I tapped out a reply.
If your competitive streak means less work for me, then by all means. Have at it, Blakey.
BLAKE: Never call me that again.
BLAKE: If I could take back the flashcards, I would.
I smiled to myself and tucked away my phone.
I could feel the heat from Blake’s glare throughout the rest of the lecture.
But I didn’t really mind the warmth.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
blake
DELANEY’S PARENTS ASKED TO talk to her privately for a few minutes after dinner, and given how her mom spoke to her and about her, I was reluctant to walk away. But Delaney gave me a nod of reassurance, and then another when I still hesitated, so I strode out the front door to wait for her in the driveway.
I felt uneasy. And it had nothing to do with the closeness to the ocean or the gray clouds rolling in from over the sea. For once, my mind wasn’t dragged into the past. Instead, it was wholly present and completely focused on Delaney.
Her expression at dinner was indescribable, but it infused hope in me all the same. There was something there, something real, when I’d spoken the truth aloud for the first time. I could have sworn I saw it. AndGod, it felt good.
As far as her parents went, it was hard to tell for certain where we landed with them. I thought I’d maybe made an impression, but then again, I didn’t know the Delacroix family as well as she did. I only knew Delaney. Was only really concernedabout Delaney. Howshewas feeling. Whatshethought about everything I’d said.
I felt her presence and heard her footsteps leaving the house even before I heard her voice.
