Bullet(11)

Ethan was calm and, for him, I no longer existed. “Don’t avoid my question, mom.”

The woman tried to be stern, but her admonition fell flat. “Ethan, where are your manners? Introduce your friend first.” I saw a twinkle in her green eyes that looked just like her son’s. I guessed she was in her late thirties, because she looked a lot younger than my parents. Her brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and her eyes seemed alert but tired. And, while I wasn’t the best judge, she appeared to be too thin. Maybe she’d been working too hard or hadn’t gotten much sleep. “And why don’t we go have a cup of coffee at the kitchen table? You’re making me nervous.”

His jaw clenched but he acquiesced. “This is a friend from school, Valerie Quinn.”

Well, this was awkward. There was some weird tension growing between Ethan and his mother, and here I was, right in the middle of it. I just smiled as sweetly as I could and said hi. Then I tried to find some unobtrusive way to just blend into the background.

His mother led Ethan by the elbow and even grabbed my hand on her other side, urging us to the kitchen. She hadn’t even removed her coat yet. Once we were in that dark but cozy room, she set her purse on the counter and then slid her long brown coat off her shoulders, draping it over a chair. She walked over to the coffee pot and pulled out a cup from the cabinet above it. “I see you’re meeting nice girls for a change.” His mother’s laugh was nervous. I couldn’t quite figure that one out.

“Mom.” Ethan was pressing.

She turned around, coffee in hand and said, “Would you sit down, please? Good grief. You’re making me feel like a hen being scoped out by a wolf.”

And I wasn’t helping. I knew that much. I sat down, though, and I did it quickly, because there was some weird dynamic going on between him and his mom. I started to think better of it, though, and thought maybe I could use this moment as an excuse to study. “I can give you some time alone.”

Ethan gave me a look and then shook his head. “You can stay.” His gaze moved to his mother again.

She was nervous and jumpy. She took a sip of her coffee and then sat down. Ethan joined her. She took a deep breath and said, “You remember Jason?”

I could tell this question upset Ethan, but he managed to rein it in. “Yeah. You were dating him last summer.”

His mother looked down at her cup of coffee as though it would understand her better than her son. Both her hands were wrapped around it as she looked into the warm brown liquid. “I was with him last night.” She took a deep breath and forced herself to look in her son’s eyes. “I love him, Ethan. He’s going to move in here.”

I couldn’t tell what Ethan was thinking. He had a poker face the likes of which I’d never seen before. He was cool when he said, “At least you’re falling in love with nice guys for a change.”

His mother started laughing. She seemed relieved. “Have you had breakfast?”

He nodded. “Val and I are going to Brad’s later.”

“But I haven’t even seen you.”

His visage didn’t change. His eyes were cold, even since making the joke he had with his mother. Something was going on and I wasn’t sure what it was. He didn’t apologize or explain, and I didn’t know how good an idea it was for the two of us to return to Brad’s house. But I wasn’t going to say a word. He stood and looked at me. “Val, I have to see some old friends, and I don’t want you to be bored. If you’re still tired, you can sleep in my bed.”

What? So he was just going to leave for a while? Hadn’t we seen some of his old friends the night before…and weren’t we going to do it again later? He didn’t answer the questions in my eyes, instead bending over and kissing his mother on the cheek. “Be back in a while.” Before either of us could say another word, he was in the living room putting on his jacket and then walking out the door.

That was…bizarre, to say the least. I wasn’t sure how to take that, but his mother seemed to just blow it off. “Silly boy.” She got up to freshen her coffee, but I knew it was an excuse to avoid eye contact…not that I blamed her. “He’ll be back in a week and can visit all his old friends then.” When she sat back at the table, she asked, “So, Valerie, how did you and Ethan meet?”

Well, Ethan might not have cared enough about his mom to stick around and make her feel loved, but I liked her right from the start. Sure, she seemed a little…broken, but she seemed kind and thoughtful, and I was beginning to wonder why those qualities hadn’t rubbed off on her son. But I also knew something was eating at Ethan having to do with something going on with his mom, and maybe since I was his guest, he didn’t want to make a bigger scene than he already had and decided to leave and cool off. I had no problems talking with his mother, though. “In our history class.” No way was I going to tell her I’d planned the meeting. I would have been too embarrassed with that revelation.

Ethan’s mother stared into the black coffee mug in between her hands. “You probably think Ethan and I have a strange relationship.” She looked up to make contact with my eyes. “But I love him so much. He’s my only child…” Her voice got quieter. “Looks just like his father.”

I sucked in a quick breath. How I wanted to ask about his father, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I figured if Ethan had wanted me to know, he would have already told me. Otherwise, it was probably none of my business, no matter how nosy I felt. The poor woman looked like she needed some good news, though, something to make her feel better. “He loves you too. I can tell. He worried about you and called all over trying to find you.”

“He’s a sweet boy.” She rolled her neck as though trying to get the kinks out of it. “Is his band going to play for you?”

“They did…last night. They’re great. Ethan really knows his way around a guitar. I’m so glad we met. He’s become my best friend.”

She got up and pulled the carafe off of the warmer base of the coffee maker. She brought it to the table to refill her cup. “You love him too, don’t you?” It was as though she could see my soul. How did she know? Or was it that Ethan just had that effect on young women? “Would you like some more?”

I shook my head. “No…no, thank you.” I felt stunned. She turned around and replaced the carafe. As she sat down, I asked, “How could you tell?” Or had it just been a lucky guess?

She smiled and acted like she was going to place her hand on mine, but she didn’t. “By the way your eyes light up when you talk about him.” She took a sip of her coffee. “It’s hard to explain.” Her smile widened again. “I’m glad, though. Ethan has never really found a girl to love him. He needs that.”

Whoa. First of all, I found that hard to believe. Ethan was absolutely gorgeous, mysterious, smart, and funny. He downplayed it, but I was convinced he already had a legion of fans, no matter what his mother thought. And then there was the problem that I often wondered that he didn’t feel the same way about me. So I said, “Yes, but we’re only friends.”

She smiled, a gentle, tender look that just touched the corner of her eyes. “Are you so sure? Ethan has never even bothered to introduce me to the girls he’s dated in the past.”

I grinned back, sure I was right. “Well, we’re just friends, and I’m sure that’s why he did.”

She chuckled. “You’re right there. I just hope you’re a good influence on him.” She let out a long sigh. “Last year in high school, he hung around with the wrong crowd, if you know what I mean. He and Brad have been good friends for a long time, and I like Brad, but forming this band was Ethan’s saving grace. He and Brad hooked up with Zane and Nick around spring break last year, and suddenly Ethan cared again. It was such a relief.” She took another sip of coffee. “All those kids are basically good kids. And I can tell you’re a nice girl.” This time she did pat my hand. “I hope he decides to stay friends with you.”

I giggled, unable to help myself any longer. “That makes two of us.”

She kept talking; why, I didn’t know. “Ethan really didn’t want to go to college at first. But I asked him to go for one year, and then if he didn’t like it, he could quit. He barely made it through high school, but college is so important nowadays, and…well, his college is paid for, as long as he wants to go, and my father is giving him spending money now and then. I know he wants to see Ethan succeed in college. I never went, except for one summer when I got my CNA certification.” She was getting close to something uncomfortable, so she switched gears. “What made you decide to go to college, Valerie?”

I nodded. “My parents wanted me to go. My grades in high school were pretty good, and I have no idea what I want to do for a living. Right now, my major is undecided, and I have no idea what I want to major in, but my mom and dad think I’ll figure it out in school. Dad said if I don’t go to college, I’ll have no focus and won’t be able to get a decent job.”