The Cruise: A lesbian romance book by Hannah Key

Author:Hannah Key [Key, Hannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-01-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

ALEX

The wait staff buzzes around our private table out on our private pool deck, picking up the remainder of our dirty dinner and dessert plates.

“I couldn’t eat another bite,” Maddie groans. “I’m stuffed. Those crab cakes were heavenly.”

“They looked good,” I admit, but I’m keeping a watchful eye on my mother because at the moment, she is slightly tipsier than she needs to be, given the current state of her mind and her condition since the stroke.

She’s giggling like a teenager at prom. She keeps falling all over Troy. He keeps having to pick her back up and place her upright in her seat—and he doesn’t bother trying to hide his annoyance about it either, huffing and sighing loudly each time it happens. My mother remains oblivious.

Maddie looks on. I cringe internally with embarrassment.

“Do you think she’s all right?” Maddie whispers beside me.

A few strands of her delicate blonde curls brush up against my cheek when she leans in.

My jaw stiffens and I stare at my mother, counting down the minutes that melt into seconds, wondering to myself when and if I should intervene.

“I’m not sure.”

Maddie hesitates before offering a kind and patient option. “If you want me to take over, I will.”

“I’m not so sure you will be able to handle it alone.” My eyes root to my mother.

“It’s my job,” Maddie says beside me.

“I know.”

“Just let me know and I’ll make it happen.”

“She’s having fun,” I admit. “I hate to disturb that. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve seen her genuinely happy.”

Maddie’s gaze is still on me, so I look her way. She’s giving me a tender smile as if she’s afraid I might break like one of these fragile china plates on the table.

“We can wait,” she offers.

I slip my hand around my beer bottle and take a big glug, licking the salty and wheat flavor off my lips.

“Troy looks annoyed,” I whisper.

Maddie’s laughter is low, but it tinkles through the air, making my affection grow.

“He always looks like that.”

I smile at her. “He has resting jerk face.”

“He does.”

Maddie gazes at me, her eyelashes fluttering over the rim of her rosé glass as she brings it to her lips.

Her cheeks are as pink as the rosé she’s drinking. Her brown eyes linger on me, and in response my body sends a rush of euphoria shivering through me.

Mom reaches for her rosé glass too.

Troy cuffs his hand over her bony wrist to stop her. “I think you’ve had enough.”

There’s a stern edge to his voice and a gruffness in his overall presence that makes Mom pause. She stares at him, her eyes wide at first, then narrowing into slits of distrust.

“You can’t talk to me that way.” She turns to me. “Claire, tell him he can’t talk to me like that.”

The blood empties from my heart and sits in a puddle in my stomach.

“Mom? It’s me. Alex.” I speak slowly and touch my finger to my chest.

Mom blinks her eyes twice and studies me as if I’m being ridiculous.

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