Every Other Weekend(22)

I slowed. “You got your photo, I got my footage, and you clearly want to be alone with your brooding, so...” I took another backward step.

He dropped his head and nodded slightly. “Okay, that’s fair. I’m sorry, I’m not sure how to do this yet.” He flicked his gaze at his dad’s apartment before returning it to me.

I lifted and lowered my shoulders, saying softly, “Nobody knows how to do this.”

“But we still have to.”

I didn’t say anything to that.

He strolled toward me, purposefully, and my heart unexpectedly starting beating faster when I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze.

“It was fun today. And honestly, I’m not sure what I would have done if you hadn’t come and gotten me. I get it if you have to go, but if you don’t...” One of his reddish-brown eyebrows lifted and my pulse rose a touch higher.

My mouth lifted to one side as he flushed. “I mean, I don’t have to go, not if you can make me a better offer.”

“Define better.”

“Not Shelly.”

Adam grinned. “Done.”





   ADAM

I might be the world’s worst poker player.

My dad and Jeremy had gone to dinner, and Jolene and I were sitting on the carpet in my living room with an empty popcorn bowl between us and a growing pile of pretzels, candy, and whatever else we’d had on hand to gamble with. I’d taken her at her word when she said I had only to offer her something better than Shelly, which was how we ended up wandering around the neighborhood before coming back to my dad’s apartment as soon as he and Jeremy left.

It had been a surprisingly fun day even though she’d nearly cleaned me out an hour ago and had been eyeing my Philadelphia Flyers T-shirt ever since. When I lost yet another hand, she did her best evil villain laugh and gathered her winnings closer.

“You’re cheating.”

“Why do losers always say that?” She winked at me and started shuffling the next hand.

“No.” I pushed back and leaned my head against the seat of the sofa. “I’m done. I have nothing left to lose.”

Jolene sat back as well, spreading her hands on the carpet. “I wouldn’t say that.” When she eyed my shirt again, I burst out laughing.

“But it will look so much better on me,” she said.

“No argument there.” She’d looked good in everything I’d seen her wear so far, including the puffy coat she’d had on while we were outside. “I’m still done.”

She aimed her camera at me, a sight I was rapidly growing used to, considering it had barely left her hand all day.

“Come on. I really feel like I’m gonna lose this time.”

I laughed. “And a liar, too. No way. I’m not going to literally and figuratively lose my shirt playing poker. Leave me with a little dignity, will you?”

“Dignity is overrated. Plus...” She frowned and started pawing through her pile of loot. “I thought I won that in the last hand.” I kicked out at her with my sock-covered foot, and she retaliated by ditching her camera so that she could throw an Oreo at my head. I stretched up and caught it in my mouth.

We were both still laughing and throwing things at each other when Dad and Jeremy walked in. My laughter cut off immediately. Jolene, on the other hand, took a full thirty seconds to compose herself. Longer still, to follow my example and stand up. She kept glancing at me as if wondering how to gauge her reaction, like she’d never been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to and gotten yelled at the way I was about to be.

Dad glanced down at our cards and food before turning to the fridge and stowing take-out bags inside. Jeremy strode up to me. “You’re worthless, you know that?”

A muscle twitched in my cheek. “I’m not going to go eat with him so that he can feel better about walking out on Mom.”

Jeremy took another step toward me, forcing Jolene to back up in order to avoid him bumping into her. Her foot slipped on one of the cards, and she caught my arm to keep from falling. I was about to shove Jeremy back when she regained her balance and smiled.

“I’m good.” She eyed my brother. “I’m Jolene, by the way. You must be Jeremy.” She introduced herself without a trace of discomfort in her voice, as if my brother hadn’t just crowded her into almost falling. He swallowed and for a second looked like he was sorry. Then his expression hardened again.

“I’m just gonna...” Jolene pointed down and dropped cross-legged on the carpet, then gathered the cards and started shuffling them. “What do you say, Jeremy? Want me to deal you in?”

Jeremy and I turned equally incredulous looks at her.

“I’m assuming you’re familiar with Texas Hold’em. On a totally unrelated subject, how much would you say your watch is worth?”

Jeremy frowned hard at her, then turned to me. “Get her out of here.”

I shoved him back with one hand. “You talk to girls like this, but I’m worthless?”

“Yeah, you are,” Jeremy said, leaning forward. “You piss and moan about a headache to get out of dinner again and then invite your girlfriend over?”

My face blazed red-hot and I clenched my fists.

“He wishes,” Jolene said to Jeremy, turning three cards faceup. “You’re not really helping his case.”