Page 21 of Catalyst

Matthew steps forward as the car pulls into the circle drive. Opening the door, he ushers Adam and me in first and then follows behind.

I sort of forgot about being sandwiched between both men the whole way here. It makes the awkwardness infinitely more uncomfortable. Now I have to think of something to say.

“Should we go to Jones’s? They’ll still be open by the time we get back,” Adam says, breaking the silence.

“Yes! No better milkshakes than Jones’s. Have you been, Ellie?” Matthew asks.

“No, I haven’t. Is it in Westlake?”

“Sonoma. It’s this diner that’s been around for generations. We used to go there as a special treat growing up.”

“How did you all end up in Westlake if you grew up in Sonoma?” The question has been bothering me for ages. The way they talk about their hometown, it’s always made me wonder.

“It was happenstance. We wanted to set up shop in Sonoma, but there weren’t any storefronts we could afford. Westlake is also a little bigger than Sonoma, so it made more sense to look for places there.” Adam’s voice is wistful.

“What we weren’t prepared for was the rest of the family moving to Westlake, as well. Mom and Dad live a few minutes from us, and Carter and Nolan live on the other side of town. Sara’s the only one who still lives in Sonoma, since she works at the vet clinic there.”

“I love how close you are to your family. I can’t imagine what that’s like.” I’d probably lose my mind if I lived a few minutes from my parents. Granted, I don’t speak to them regularly, so they’d likely continue ignoring me, even if they lived next door.

“You aren’t close to your family?” Adam asks.

“No, definitely not. With the exception of my older sister, I haven’t talked to my family in a couple of years.”

“Wow. The idea of not talking to my parents for so long is foreign.” Adam’s expression looks like he’s trying to hold back from asking why I don’t talk to my parents anymore.

“It’s better this way for everyone. My parents and I don’t see eye to eye on pretty much anything. By keeping our communications minimal, we can keep the peace.” I shrug. For most of my life, I didn’t meet my parents’ very specific requirements for how they believe their daughters should behave. I was always just off the mark. For years, I bent over backward to try to meet their standards, falling short every single time. I could never quite meet the bar my mother had set for me, and after years of disappointing her, I stopped trying. I did the bare minimum to stay in touch with them, basically letting them know I was alive, then going on about my life.

Then, when I found out my parents weren’t willing to stick up for me when it mattered most, I lost what little respect I had left for them.

I’ve got Sue and Katie, who are more like family now than my parents are. And my sister, Stephanie, still calls sometimes.

I’m content with the life I’ve built for myself in Westlake. I may not have much, but I have what I need. I couldn’t ask for much more than that.

The car pulls into the parking lot of a shiny silver trailer with a neon sign over the door that readsJones’s Diner. When we’re parked, the three of us pile out of the back seat in all our elegant glory. We’re way overdressed for this place, yet I couldn’t feel more at home here. This is the kind of place I could fall in love with, and I’m a little mad I didn’t know it existed until tonight.

“I’ll grab us the shakes if you two want to find a table?” Adam suggests and starts to walk away before Matthew or I can respond.

“Oh, no you don’t, mister.” I take off after him, toward the open window on the side of the trailer, my heels crunching under the gravel surrounding the diner. Picnic tables sit further off to the right, occupied by teenagers enjoying their weekend freedom.

When I finally catch up to Adam, I elbow him out of the way so I can pay for the shakes. His grunt from the jab makes me smile. “I’ll take a chocolate twist with brownie bites, a vanilla twist with rice crispy cereal and marshmallows, and…” I look over at Adam. “What do you want?” I hold my card out to the employee. I’m not taking the chance for him to be sneaky.

Adam sighs. “I’ll take a chocolate twist with brownies, as well, please.”

He rolls his eyes at my victorious grin. A few minutes later, we’re handed the ice cream, and I take mine and Matthew’s over to the table he saved for us. I hand Matthew his cup, sitting on the empty side of the bench. A little part of me preens when Adam sits next to me.

“I thought we were getting shakes? Also, how did you know this one is my favorite?” Matthew asks, shoving a huge bite of ice cream into his mouth. My sensitive teeth hurt just watching him.

“Shakes are boring when compared to candy, and there are always rice crispy treat wrappers in your trash can.”

“Never realized you paid that close of attention. Might have to watch myself around you a little more.” Matthew jokes.

I wiggle my eyebrows at him as I take a bite. “Thanks for asking me to come with you guys tonight. I had fun.”

“I’m glad you came with us, too. Made for a much more enjoyable evening,” Matthew says, with a meaningful look at Adam.

“I agree with Matthew. You made the evening more bearable than it would’ve been.”

“What a ringing endorsement.” I laugh, garnering a small smile from Adam. I guess my stoic, fun-sucking boss has returned. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, despite knowing it was only a matter of time before things went back to the status quo. It was nice getting to see a different side of him, and a small part of me was hoping it might stick around a little longer.

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