Always (A Ditched novella) by Hope Amity

Author:Hope, Amity [Hope, Amity]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Published: 2014-02-11T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER seven

“That’s great,” Max said into the phone. He covered the mouthpiece and quietly said to me, “Grandpa just got Grandma settled in at home. They’d like me to stop by for a little bit.”

“I’ll go with you,” I offered.

Max had just gotten out of class for the day. We had known there was a good chance Villette would be released this afternoon. We had been getting ready to take a walk on the beach when his phone rang, confirming it. Now, I stood in the entryway trying to decide which pair of shoes to wear.

“Holly and I will be out there in a little while,” he said. He was leaning against the doorframe that led into the kitchen. His massive build nearly filled the entire opening. His expression froze and his eyes flicked to me for a second before a frown appeared. “Oh, sure… I have some time…Yeah, I understand… No, she’ll understand too…Okay. See you soon.” He disconnected.

“What?”

“She’s not really up to company,” he said.

I could understand that. Despite what she claimed, she’d been in the hospital. Of course she wasn’t feeling well.

“I thought they asked you to stop by?” I pointed out, feeling a little confused.

“Yeah, they do want me to stop by,” he said, looking apologetic.

“Oh.” His hesitation became clear. “They don’t want me to come with.” That was a first. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It seemed that Villette always welcomed my visits. “Did she specifically say that?” He hesitated a moment before nodding. “Okay, that’s fine,” I said, unable to keep the slight note of hurt out of my voice.

“I’m sorry. Maybe—”

“It’s really okay, Max. If she doesn’t want company, then that probably means she’s not feeling well.” Instead of feeling hurt, I suddenly felt guilty.

He moved into the small entryway to pull me into a hug. I looped my arms around his neck as I looked up at him.

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” he asked.

“Of course not. She’s just getting out of the hospital. I’m sure there’s going to be enough commotion with your aunts there,” I said.

“They’re gone,” Max admitted with a relieved sigh as his arms slipped away. “Grandma told them that she was under strict orders from the doctor to not listen to anything they say.” I raised my eyebrows in question. He just smiled and shrugged. “Undue stress isn’t good for her, so really, she’s probably right. Anyhow, she’s all settled in now. Grandpa saw to it that the three of them left this morning. He told them he wasn’t bringing her home to a house full of arguing.”

I moved out of the way so that Max could get his shoes on.

“Okay, then I guess I’ll see you later. Should we grill some burgers for dinner?” I asked.

He looked at me and grimaced. “I have study group tonight. At the café, remember?”

I gave a little nod. Now I remembered. I had forgotten. I shoved my hands into my pockets and tried to come off as nonchalant. “Right.

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