Page 19 of Dissonance (Unrequited 3)

“Does she still suck?” Alex asked tentatively.

“Yep.”

“Why do you still deal with her? Mo’s pretty happy they’re out of his life.”

I turned to him, scanning him from his navy-blue hat to his cerulean eyes to his tipped-down mouth. “She’s my mom.” It was really that simple.

“I see you, Yael. You were all relaxed, soaking up the sun before she called, and now you’re basically a big knot of tension. I don’t get it. You deserve better.”

Concern filled his softened voice. I hated it. Pity from Alex Murray was the last thing I ever, ever wanted.

“It’s mymom, Alex. I know it’s probably hard for you to understand since you’re not close with your mother, but I can’t just push her out of my life. It doesn’t work that way.”

Rising to my feet, I avoided eye contact by watching the other skaters. He rose too, his arm brushing against mine.

“Way to go, Cool Girl. Does that make you feel better, to bring up my absent mother? If that works, then have at it. Make your digs. I’ve made peace with who my mom is. It rolls right off my back.”

He sounded so laissez-faire about it, I wanted to push even harder to seewhatwould rile this man. But I wouldn’t because I didn’t care.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” I raised my chin. “Are we done here?”

He released a long, slow sigh. “How are we going to fake this? I say one wrong thing and I’m public enemy number one. You’re gonna have to pack away the knives if you want anyone to buy us as a couple.”

Obviously he was right. I knew that. But every time I spoke to my mother, I was left either wanting to lash out or curl into a ball and sob. Today was a lashing day, and Alex had been in the way of my whip. That wasn’t to say he didn’t deserve it sometimes...just not today. He was helping me when he had absolutely no reason to. If he asked me to be his fake girlfriend at a wedding, I’d laugh in his damn face and question whether he'd picked up a mind-altering parasite while on tour.

Relenting, I turned to face him. He tipped his chin down to meet my gaze, and already, there was a smile tugging at his lips.

“Are you unarmed?” he asked.

“For now. You’re right, talking to my mom often puts me in a terrible mood. That’s not your fault, and I do realize you were trying to help. I actually don’t want advice or sympathy, if that’s okay with you.”

He shrugged, though the concern in the pinch of his brows told me he wasn’t as relaxed as the rest of his body would indicate.

“It’s all right with me. Are we leaving, or are you ready to soak up some more sun and lose the crappy ’tude?”

“I could soak up a little more sun.” I shooed him away with my hands. “Go do one of those thingies where you fly through the air and look like you’re going to fall on your head but by some miracle you land on your board.”

Alex chuckled and pulled on the brim of his hat, then he kissed two fingers and saluted me. “My next flying through the air thingy is dedicated to you, Boo.”

He pushed off, his shoulders square and confident even as he came to the edge of a very deep drop. Where I would have hesitated, he rolled right into the bowl, and then what felt like a heartbeat later, he skated up and grabbed his board with both hands while his body arced, nothing below him but air followed by very hard concrete. When he landed his trick, a couple guys applauded, and Alex’s laugh carried over everything else.

Maybe this was why he was in such a good mood all the time. The man was applauded at his jobandat his hobby. If people followed me around, clapping when I made a phone call for Mo...okay, that would be annoying. But Alex had a job he loved while I was just my brother’s assistant. Although we were in the same circle, there was a stark difference between our lives.

My breath caught when Alex flew into the air again, this time upside down with only his hand supporting him on the rim of the bowl. He seemed to hang there forever before he tucked his body and flipped upright.

By the time he came back, I was still breathless from how nervous he’d made me with his death-defying tricks. The last thing I wanted to do was explain to Mo why I’d been with Alex when he cracked his head open like an egg.

He’d blame me. He’d surely believe I’d pushed Alex to his doom.

Alex sat so close to me, he was practically on top of me. “Time for those sosh meeds pics, boo.”

I shoved at him until he scooted about an inch away. “Stop talking like that. I don’t even know what you’re saying.”

He tapped the phone in my hand, then spoke in his best grown-up voice. “Yael, I think you should turn on your phone so we can take a few pictures to post on social media. It’s the beginning of the paper trail of our relationship, as per our earlier discussion.”

I snorted. “That might have actually been worse.”

He threw his hands up in mock exasperation. “Fine, woman. You tell me what you want me to say.”

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