“Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Lock the door on both sides.”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“You’ll see.”
I walk in and set my bag on the floor and then wander to the bathroom. There’s another bedroom on the other side and I grin as I get my first peek at Ginny’s childhood. I go all the way in and turn a circle. The walls are painted teal and the bed has a white comforter with a thousand throw pillows piled on top. Framed photos line the top of a desk. Even without walking closer, I can tell Bryan is featured in a lot of them.
Her ex-boyfriend might be better at football, but Ginny barely even looked at him the entire game. I know it sounds conceited to say she’s totally into me, but I know she is. I’m totally into her too. Still, I turn the largest frame around so I don’t have to stare at their happy faces.
As I’m coming back through the bathroom, Adam walks in his room with brows furrowed. “Do you have any extra clothes Mav could wear?”
“Nah, man, I just brought the one change of clothes.”
He goes to his dresser and rummages through the few items inside. “My dad doesn’t have a single item of clothing in their closet.”
I shrug and so does he as he says, “Guess Mav will have to wear some vintage duds of mine.”
By the time I shower and head back down, the Scott’s dining room table is filled with food and the guys are already sitting around practically salivating. There’s an empty chair between Ginny and Mav, and I take it.
Mrs. Scott sets a final dish on the table and smiles. “I think that’s everything. Dig in everyone.”
For five minutes no one speaks except to compliment the food between bites. Even my sweet little Ginny, who barely fills a plate most days, eats her weight in mashed potatoes and turkey.
I feel like I can’t eat another bite, but then Mrs. Scott brings pies to the table and I can’t help myself.
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Mav says after his second piece, leaning back and rubbing his stomach.
“What are you wearing, Mav?” Ginny asks. “Is that Adam’s high school homecoming shirt?”
He looks down and shrugs.
Adam speaks from across the table. “Yeah, Dad. I went in your and Mom’s closet to loan Mav a shirt, but I couldn’t find anything. Did she finally take over the entire closet and ban your clothes to the basement?”
Adam laughs at the idea, but then an uncomfortable silence follows as Mr. and Mrs. Scott share a nervous glance.
My skin prickles with awareness even before I’ve put it together. I’m good at reading bad news. Ginny’s confused expression is heartbreaking, and I rest a hand on her leg under the table.
Mrs. Scott frowns and then says, “We wanted to wait until after the weekend to tell you.”
“To tell us what?” Adam asks, his tone hardened in anticipation.
Uncomfortable silence falls over the room.
“Your mother and I have separated,” Mr. Scott answers finally.
Mav goes into a coughing fit, unable to hide his surprise and I elbow him hard in the ribs. He grunts loudly, but no one is paying him any attention anyway.
“Separated?” Adam questions. “You’re getting divorced?”
Mrs. Scott looks around the table. “Maybe we should talk about it later.”
“Mom?” Ginny’s voice wavers and my chest… my chest fucking aches.
Mrs. Scott’s mouth pulls up into a smile, but it’s sad as hell. “We love you both very much. That hasn’t changed and it won’t. We’re still a family.”
Rauthruss clears his throat. “Maybe the guys and I should give you some time to talk.” He glances to me and Mav, and we start to stand only to have Adam beat us to it.
“No, you guys stay. I need some air.”
Ginny pushes back her chair so quickly it scrapes against the wood floor. “Me too.” She disappears after him.
“Holy uncomfortable Batman,” Mav whispers.
“I’m going to talk to them,” Mr. Scott says and looks to his wife, maybe for approval. She nods and he follows them out.
It isn’t until Mrs. Scott stands and excuses herself that the guys and I take a breath.
“Fuck, man, that was rough.” Rauthruss grimaces. “What do we do?”
“No clue,” I tell him honestly.
31
Ginny
Adam and I sit in the garage after Dad leaves to go back to his place.
“He has his own apartment. How weird is that?” I ask, mostly to myself.
“You really had no idea?” Adam looks to me again like I should have known and warned him. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t.
I shake my head. “I didn’t know. Dad was in Scottsdale for work when I got here earlier this week.” I think back, not only to the days since I got home for Thanksgiving break, but over the last few months. “They were going on trips and…” It hits me then that those trips were probably a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, and I feel like throwing up.
At some point, my brother grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen and we are well on our way to finishing it off. Adam’s drunk the lion’s share. He seems to be taking this harder than me. I feel numb, but he… well, I haven’t seen my brother so devastated since the day I got locked inside the pantry. He’d been nine then and took on the big brother protector role with a dedication second to none. Since then I’d thought of him as unbreakable.
He can’t protect me from this though, and I can’t protect him. Everything is going to be different whether we like it or not.
Rauthruss walks outside with his hands in his pockets about the time Adam is tossing the empty wine bottle in the trash. “Are you guys okay?”
“Getting there.” Adam holds up his wine glass and takes a healthy drink.
“We thought you might want to stay another night, head back in the morning?”
Adam nods and his expression softens. “Yeah, thanks, I
