Chapter Twenty-Four
Rory wasn’t happy. Not with me. Not with Fisher. Not with Rose.
It surprised me, and I think Rose too, that Rory struggled to accept the situation. After all, she went to prison and lost her marriage （and her daughter for five years） because she fell in love and that love caused a lot of damage. Rose speculated it wasn’t what had happened as much as Rory felt like everyone knew but her. Everyone that mattered.
The following weekend, I got a phone call while cleaning the bathroom.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Just found your name in my contacts. Who knew I had your number?”
I grinned, flipping the toilet seat down and taking a seat. “Hi. Who knew?” I hadn’t seen or talked to Fisher since Rory caught us in the hallway. We were trying to do things right, if there was such a thing as right. And it was clear that being together always led to situations like me half naked and tossing all intentions for human decency aside. All morals. Everything to make room for Fisher and only Fisher.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Cleaning the bathroom. What are you doing?”
“Thinking you should let me take you to lunch.”
Biting my lip to hide my grin as if he could see me, I told my eager heart to chill. “I have to help clean the house. My grandparents are coming for Thanksgiving this week.”
“Rory’s parents?”
“Yeah. My dad’s parents would not be caught dead having Thanksgiving here.”
“Why?”
“Because their ex-daughter-in-law not only went to prison for growing marijuana, she also kissed a girl.”
“And she liked it.”
I giggled. “She did.”
“Well, you need to eat. Give me an hour.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“Fifty-nine minutes and not a second past.”
I laughed. “Rory just started talking to me and Rose again. Not more than a few words, but it’s something. I think lunch with you would take me back ten steps with her.”
“Then don’t tell her. Say you’re running to Target for something.”
It was a dumb idea. I needed to act a little more grown-up. I needed to actually be a little more grown-up.
“Fine.” There was always tomorrow to be grown-up.
“Where do you want to meet?”
“McDonald’s on the corner.”
“Okay. Ten minutes?”
I nodded before answering, my grin ready to break my face. “Ten minutes.” I quickly combed my hair, brushed my teeth, and reapplied deodorant. My ripped jeans and tee would just have to be good enough. “I need a couple things from Target. Do you need anything?” I yelled down the stairs.
“We’re good,” Rose replied.
They’d been downstairs for quite a while. I had a feeling they were doing more talking than cleaning. Talking about the big five-year deception.
Fisher was already at McDonald’s when I pulled into the parking lot. I walked around to his driver’s door and opened it.
“What are you doing? Get in.” He eyed me with such a bright gleam in his eyes. It did all kinds of things to me.
“Thought we were having lunch.”
“We are. But not here. I just thought we’d meet here so you could leave your car and ride with me.”