“Whatever you do, don’t give them your social security number,” Marcus warned.
Nick gave Marcus a look that said, What do you take me for? When he answered, he heard only static, followed by a rustling noise. Someone mumbling.
“Hello?” Nick repeated.
“Nick?”
Nick stilled. He almost dropped the phone as his hand went slack.
“Nick? Can you hear me?”
“。 . . Mom?”
Caleb and Marcus both froze, turning to look at Nick.
“Mom?” Nick repeated. His pulse quickened. He stood and walked outside. The fresh air hit him. He paused at the top of the stoop. “Mom, is that you?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. Hi.”
Sweetheart.
The last time Nick saw Teresa, she’d been laid up in a hospital bed with a broken shoulder, yelling at him to leave because he’d been arguing with his father. Now she was calling him sweetheart. And with that one word, he was a boy again. Vulnerable and unsure. Seeking her acknowledgment.
“I’ve been calling you off this cheap prepaid phone I bought at the gas station. Barely works,” she said over the static. “We’ve been back in Warren for a few weeks now. Are you still over there?”
Over there. That was the way she’d referred to Nick’s travels. During their sporadic calls, he’d always been someplace new. He wanted to lie and keep his distance. He should tell her that he was in Asia or Australia. Far away and unreachable.
“No,” he said. “I’m in the States now.”
“You are? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know how to reach you.” He was taken aback by the hurt in her voice. “I’m sorry.”
“Where are you?”
“Is everything okay?” he asked, avoiding her question. “Do you need anything?”
“You think I’m only calling because I need something from you?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just want to make sure you’re all right.”
Teresa sighed. “I’m calling about your father.”
Nick’s stomach clenched. “What happened?”
“He was in a car accident a few days ago, down there racing with those fools at the pool hall. He broke his leg. He hit his head pretty badly too. The doctors say he’ll be okay, but it’s going to take some time . . .” She paused. “He’s been asking for you, Nick. He wants you to come see him.”
Nick said nothing. A numbness spread over him. His gaze was fixed on a crack in the stoop.
“Are you going to tell me where you are?” Teresa asked.
“New York.” A voice in the back of his head reprimanded him for revealing that information, but he felt so detached from the moment. Out of body.
“Wow,” she said, surprised. “How long have you been there?”
He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Since March.”
Teresa was silent. Most likely coming to terms with the fact that Nick had been back for five months and hadn’t told her. “I hope you’ll come, Nick. This is the number to reach me. Let me know what you decide.”
“Okay.”
She said goodbye and the line went dead. Nick let his phone drop into his lap.
Behind him, Marcus stepped outside. Caleb stood in the doorway. Both looked equally concerned.
Marcus walked closer to Nick. “Was that . . .”
“My mom,” he finished. “Yeah.”
Marcus was quiet for a moment. Then, “What did she say?”
“My dad got into a car accident and hurt his leg and head. They say he’ll be okay, but they want me to come down to Warren.”
“Are you gonna go?” Caleb asked.
Nick continued to stare at the street. A hint of panic pricked through his numbness.
“I don’t know,” he said.
* * *
? ? ?
Nick relayed the phone call with his mom to Lily later that night. Violet was gone, so it was just the two of them and Tomcat in Lily and Violet’s apartment. They sat on the couch facing each other. Tomcat was snuggled up against Nick’s leg. He could see why Lily liked to cuddle with the cat for comfort.
“I think I need to go,” Nick said. “I don’t want to, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to him and I didn’t see him first.”
Lily nodded. “I understand. Do you want me to go with you?”
“No,” he said too quickly, causing Lily to blink. He didn’t want her anywhere near his parents and their drama. He couldn’t let any of that shit touch her. “You have work and your interview.”