“Works for me,” he agreed in a calm voice. “You ready to go?”
“Sure.” She fumbled for her keys and they walked over to the car. She waited as he tossed the crutches into the backseat and then climbed in next to her. Without looking at him, she started the engine and headed back into civilization.
xxxx
Hudson had long ago given up trying to understand girls. They made about as much sense as Schrödinger’s cat. Just let him measure and analyze things. Thought experiments hurt his head. It was pointless to figure out why Via had asked if he’d thought they were going on a date.
He hadn’t.
For a start, if they did ever go on a date, it wouldn’t involve having an X-ray. Not to mention she was helping out because spending time with him wasn’t quite as bad as being stuck in a canoe.
It was hardly headline news. Via had never been interested in him, even when they’d been friends the first time around. It was probably for the best. When it came to relationships, he sucked. He couldn’t even relate to his parents, so girls were out of the question.
He said a final thank you to the doctor, tucked the large envelope under his arm, and headed out to the waiting room where Via was sitting.
Her long curls were hanging over her shoulder, and the denim miniskirt she was wearing showed off a lot of leg. She was studying her phone.
“Hey,” he said. She looked up with a start.
“I’ve been trying to keep up with Frankie’s life. She’s had a bit of a crazy summer. How did it go? Any fractures?”
“Nope. Just a sprain.”
“That’s good news.” She stood up and plucked the envelope with the X-ray from under his arm. “It’s going to get crushed if you do that.”
“Thanks.” He’d always liked the way she never had a problem saying what she thought and taking control of things. It was strangely reassuring. And kind of hot.
He groaned.
Had his brain listened to nothing it had just been told?
His phone rang in his pocket, but he kept walking. Moments later a second call came through. He didn’t need to look at the screen to know who the callers were. Via walked beside him, brows pushed together.
“Aren’t you going to answer either of them?”
“Definitely not. First one was from my mom. Second from my dad. They might be divorced but they have an uncanny knack of calling me at the same time.”
“They probably want to know how the X-ray went.”
“Yeah. That would be the obvious conclusion,” he said, trying not to think of the ongoing argument his parents had been having between themselves. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t for the fact they were fighting over who had the right to not have him more. Too late he realized Via was intently studying his face, her sharp eyes narrowing in on everything he was trying to keep hidden.
He’d forgotten how much she noticed.
Probably should have kept my mouth shut.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged, but her gaze didn’t falter. “It’s not a big deal. My mom’s pissed that my dad never collected me because now she feels guilty about not being here.”
Not enough to cancel her cruise, of course.
“Why didn’t he collect you?” she asked.
The sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.
“Something came up.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. He assumed something really had come up. His father hadn’t bothered to mention what it was. Just that Hudson would have to stay at Camp Doom for two more weeks. “Maybe he knew how much fun I was having?”
He expected her to laugh. Or at least smile, but her expression was grave. “I…I didn’t know there were things going on.” Her words were uncertain. Like she didn’t want to say the wrong thing. Like she cared what he thought.
It had been a while since anyone cared.
“It’s okay. Your mom and dad seem pretty happy together. I caught them kissing the other day.”
“Join the club. Membership includes being scarred for life,” she said in a dry voice, but her eyes clouded. “Did it suck when they split up?”
He shut his eyes. He never talked about this stuff.
Not with anyone.
It was his dirty little secret, that instead of being a Band-Aid baby they’d hoped would improve the marriage, it had become worse. Thanks to him.
He’d already told her some of it. Might as well fill in the blanks.
“Yes and no. I mean, they fought all the time. I’m talking war zone. At first it was bad, but it was also a relief to be in a house that wasn’t so…loud. They really hated each other. They still do, but now they communicate via me.”
“That doesn’t sound fun.”
No. It really wasn’t.
“It’s not so bad.”
“You always were a terrible liar,” she said as a tentative smile spread across her mouth. The kind of smile he hadn’t seen in two years. It was nice. He just wasn’t sure why it had appeared. Was she happy his folks were acting like toddlers? Then she reached out and grabbed his hand.
Heat travelled up his arm and he stiffened. “Via, what’s going on?”
“I have an idea,” she explained as her fingers tightened in his. Then she nodded for him to follow her. “Are you coming, or what?”
Okay. A mysterious adventure it was.
5
“Um, Via. What are we doing here?” Hudson’s brown eyes were wide, and tiny slivers of gold flickered through them. She didn’t blame him for being surprised.
It also proved he didn’t know her as well as he thought he did.
“We’re here to take some photos,” she explained in a patient voice, enjoying his continued confusion. The old-fashioned photo booth next to the hairdressers had been there for almost as long as Camp Doom itself. She held open the gray curtain.
“That will teach me to ask an obvious question.” He let his crutches rest against the outside wall and used the doorframe to maneuver himself inside. His arm brushed hers as he went past. Her skin prickled,
