The Problem with Forever(91)

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “You want to do that anytime? You just go right ahead.”

Closing my eyes, I giggled. I might do just that, I thought.

We lay there for a while, and when it grew close to when it was time for me to head home, Rider tapped my hip. I grabbed my bag and before I left his bedroom, I took one last look at The Velveteen Rabbit.

My heart got all gooey.

“I can ride with you,” he said once we were downstairs. “Catch the—”

“That’s not necessary.” Sweet of him to offer, but that was majorly going out of his way. I held out my hand for the keys. “I know my way back.”

One side of his lips quirked. “I know.”

I stared at him as he dropped my keys in my palm. Then he lowered his head, kissing me softly and far too quickly.

“Walk you to your car?” he offered.

I nodded, and we both headed into the living room just as the front door of the house opened. An older woman walked in, a blue lunch bag in one arm and a black tote dangling from her wrist. Her black hair was liberally sprinkled with gray and pulled back in a low ponytail. I guessed this was Mrs. Luna, but she didn’t appear to be that old. I stilled as the door swung shut behind her and she turned in our direction.

She came to a complete stop, her dark eyes widening. A prickly sensation crawled over me as her gaze moved from me to Rider.

“Hey, Mrs. Luna.” Rider stepped forward, slightly in front of me. “This is Mallory. She stopped over after school.”

Mrs. Luna blinked once and then twice. “Mallory?” she repeated. The bright gaze zeroed in on me. “This is Mallory.”

Oh my God.

“Yeah, this is her,” he answered.

“Oh.” The woman shook her head and then stepped into the living room. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t know you were coming over. I would’ve made sure I got here earlier.” The skin crinkled around her eyes as she narrowed them at Rider. “This young man should’ve told me. I could’ve made my—”

“You don’t have to make anything,” Rider replied. “Mallory has to head home anyway.”

Mrs. Luna walked over to drop the tote onto the recliner. She glanced at Rider as I stared at her. Words darted around, and I grasped at them. They slipped through my fingers as the silence stretched out between us.

She shrugged off a light jacket, draping it over the back of the chair. “Well, I hope I see you again. For dinner next time. I am famous for my arroz con gandules.” Her smile was warm. “You’ll love it.”

“It’s basically ham, yellow rice and pigeon peas,” Rider explained with a grin. “It’s really good.”

I nodded.

“And you’ll see her again.” Rider nudged my shoulder. “Right?”

I nodded once more.

Rider placed his hand on my lower back. “Well, Mallory needs to get going...”

My cheeks burned and irritation rose swiftly, swirling inside me. This time it had a different effect. It forced words out. “It’s nice...to meet you.” My face burned even hotter, because I tripped all over the words, but I spoke them.

Mrs. Luna nodded as she stepped to the side. The front door opened and a second later Jayden came in. A lazy grin tipped up the corners of his lips when he spotted us in the living room. The bruise around his eye had only faded a shade or two, and I wondered what Mrs. Luna had thought when she first saw it.

“Hey, you couldn’t get enough of me? Followin’ me home, now?” Jayden toed off his sneakers, placing them near the door as he smiled at me. “Stayin’ for dinner?”

“Nah, Mallory’s got to get home,” Rider responded.

“Too bad.” Jayden walked toward his grandmother. “Let me get that,” he said, taking her lunch bag from her. “I’m gonna make you dinner tonight.”

Rider raised his brows at that.

“Really?” Mrs. Luna smiled at Jayden. “You’re so good to me,” she said, letting Jayden usher her toward the kitchen. “What would I do without you, mi nene hermoso?”

“You’d be lost without me,” he teased, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Just like Mallory.”

I smiled as Rider guided me outside. Dusk was rapidly fading into night. Streetlamps shone dully on the sidewalk. Rider took ahold of my hand.

“Can I ask something kind of personal?” I asked.

“Sure,” he replied.

“What happened to...Hector and Jayden’s parents?”

“Their father was Mrs. Luna’s son. He died of cancer when they were little.” He squeezed my hand as we passed a tree. “And their mother kind of lost it, I guess. Or maybe she never had it? I don’t know. She’s on drugs pretty bad. Stops by once a year. Last I heard she was living in DC.”

“That’s...sad,” I said, wishing there was more that I could say.

“Yeah,” Rider murmured. We stopped by my car. “You sure you don’t need me to ride back with you?”

I nodded as I stared up at him. My gaze searched his. “Can I...ask you something else?”

Rider grinned. “You can ask me whatever.”

“Are you happy there?”

“There? You mean in Mrs. Luna’s house?” When I nodded, he placed both his hands on my shoulders and then lowered his head so we were eye level. “I’m as happy as I can be. Got a roof over my head and four walls with food on the table. After school, it’s my goal to keep those things.”