Page 48 of Until Forever

I sank back into the seat and slowly caught up, laughing a little myself.

“Resembling your mom isn’t an insult by any means. So…I’ll take it.”

We went into the store and picked up some stuff to make a salad, some grilled chicken, and a loaf of bread. I tried to act as calm and natural as possible the whole time…as if I wasn’t in a rush and my stomach wasn’t in knots over what was potentially in store for me later that night.

Once again, I was starting to feel like a teenager all over again who was just rushing through family dinner, counting the seconds until everyone went to sleep so I could sneak out my window and go meet Keith and the guys by the lake or some other forbidden spot around town.

Either I played it off well, or Claire meant what she said, and she really was done trying to pry into whatever was going on with me. Because she didn’t question my anxious behavior or say a word about it.

But I was granted my second chance at getting off the hook, of being able to play it safe a little longer, when we got back home with the groceries and walked into a dark and empty house.

“Of course,” Claire sighed. “Chris must be working late again. He didn’t even bother sending a message to let me know this time. Sometimes, I swear it’s like he doesn’t even live here anymore.”

Why do you put up with it!? I was screaming inside. But I was sure she was already thinking it, so I kept it to myself.

“It’s more fun anyway when it’s just us girls,” I offered.

And it was true, for me anyway. I suspected she didn’t always feel the same way, and I couldn’t blame her.

It was settled then. I couldn’t go out with Keith that night. The end. I would message him after dinner to let him know. Maybe I would even say, “Some other time”.

We had just finished cooking and sat everything out on the table when I heard keys jingling outside. The door opened, and a few moments later, Chris appeared around the corner.

“Mmmm, it smells delicious in here,” he said as he walked over to kiss Claire on the forehead. She remained stiff and unsmiling as he did it.

Damn. Just like that, my excuse was gone.

“Too bad I’m going to miss it,” he added.

Aaaand it was back again.

“What!?” she snapped. “You just got here! You’re not going to eat with us?”

He shot her an incredulous glare and held up his hands. “It’s bowling night, honey. You know that.”

She deflated. “Oh. Right. I forgot that was tonight.”

“Bowling night?” I grumbled under my breath.

In addition to all of his late nights at work, Chris sure did have more extra-curricular activities than any other man I had ever known. Which might have been fine if his wife wasn’t going through something so huge at home, all while being forced to wait around on him all the time. He almost lost her, and he still acted like he had all the time in the world to waste.

After dinner, I helped Claire do the dishes before rolling her into the living room, in front of the TV.

“What should we watch tonight?” I asked her. “The Bachelor? Oh! What about Love Is Blind?”

“I’m going to watch one of my favorite movies, and you’re going to go out and do whatever it is that you’ve been so anxious about all night.”

I guessed right. I wasn’t as good of an actress as I thought. Claire had just been pretending not to notice.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I argued.

She glared back at me. “What did we talk about earlier? I thought I told you to stop treating me like an idiot. All your nervous energy is freaking me out anyway. Go on and go.”

“I don’t like leaving you here alone.”

“Chris will be home as soon as bowling is over,” she defended. “I’ll be fine until then. I’m probably just going to pass out five minutes into the movie anyway. The fair wore me out.”

I considered it for a moment, then decided I had no choice but to go. I told myself it wasn’t for me or for Keith. It was for Claire. If I stayed, she’d think it was only for her sake, and then she’d feel bad.

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