Alex didn’t particularly care.
“Okay,” he said. “I think I know what you’re going to say.”
“I don’t think you do.”
He shrugged. “Fine. We’ll talk. Go out with me, or invite me in, or I’ll take you for a ride. I’ll let you choose.”
That snapped her eyes up to his. “Oh, you’ll let me?”
He laughed. “Definitely. Whatever you want. You want things, don’t you?”
She shrugged and slipped off her gardening gloves. “You’re handsome when you smile,” she grumbled.
“But not when I don’t?”
“No. Handsome isn’t the word I’d use then.”
He tipped his head a little closer as if she were revealing a secret. “What word would you use?”
He’d expected a flip answer, but she seemed to take his question seriously. Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him, and a dozen heartbeats passed before she answered. “I’d say you’re...”
During her pause, he watched closely, studying her eyes, waiting for her answer. But it never came.
“Get away from her!” a woman yelled from a distance.
A strangled gasp tore from Sophie’s throat as she straightened and took two steps away from Alex. He was a little slower, checking idly over his shoulder to see what neighborhood drama was going down. An old woman was storming up the street. It took him several seconds to realize that old woman was
his mom. He still wasn’t used to the change in her.
“Alex!” she screamed.
Jesus. Alex shook his head. “Whatever’s about to go down, I apologize for it.”
“Alex, I’m sorry. I meant to tell you. I swear.”
“Tell me what?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he looked away from his charging mother to see Sophie twisting her hands together, her face tight with something like fear. “Hey. Don’t let her scare you. She’s just—”
“You get away from that whore!”
“Hey!” Alex barked, swinging toward his mother as she stormed across the lawn. “Watch your mouth.”
“I should say the same to you,” she sneered, skidding to a stop only a few feet away. Her slippers were damp and muddy around the edges. “Watch your mouth and every other part of yourself around her.”
“Jesus.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Sophie.”
His mom snorted. “Don’t apologize to her.”
“I will and so will you.”
Sophie’s whisper broke through his building anger. “No. I’ll go inside. It’s fine. Just...”
“It’s not fine,” he insisted. His mom’s insanity was spilling out all over her neighbors now. “She can’t try to pull innocent people into her deranged world.”
“Innocent?” his mother scoffed. “Oh, my God. Innocent?” She barked out a laugh as Alex stepped forward, herding her toward the street. He was sick of this shit. He’d been sick of it his whole life.
“Let’s go,” he ordered.
She shook off the hand he put on her elbow. “She’s not innocent. She’s just like her mother!”