“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Come in.”
I stepped aside, not realizing I’d been barring the entry with my body, and let them pass. Them and their big ass suitcases, that is.
“Staying for a while?” I questioned, glaring at the suitcases like they’d personally offended me.
“As long as we need to,” my dad said, giving me the evil eye that told me I’d most definitely done something wrong.
“What the hell does that mean?” I exclaimed as I closed and locked the front door.
He shrugged. “You’ve checked out of life, Liam. We’re here to check you back in.”
“Cute. You should put that in one of your songs.”
“We both know I don’t write the songs,” he countered, taking my mom’s purse from her shoulder and setting it on the floor. “Care to tell us who this is?” He nodded at Ari where she stood by the stairs.
She seemed very amused by the whole thing. I glared at her, and she merely grinned back at me.
“This is Ari.” I waved my hand dramatically in her direction. “She’s staying here for a while.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” my mom asked gleefully.
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Leave it to my mom to ask that right off the bat.
“No. Absolutely not.”
She frowned, looking from me to Ari. “Why not?”
“Mom,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands.
Ari snickered across from me. Of course she’d be highly amused by the situation.
“No offense, Mrs…? I don’t actually know your last name,” Ari muttered toward me. Continuing, she added, “But your son is kind of an ass.”
My mom smiled. “He’s just like his dad.” She lightly bumped her fist into my dad’s chest. “Hard on the outside, but a total softy on the inside. Keep digging.” She winked at Ari.
“Mom,” I scolded, hoping the embarrassment didn’t show on my face. I was nearly twenty years old, and my mom was treating me like I was still a kid.
“I’ll just be upstairs.” Ari pointed unnecessarily, putting one foot on the bottom stair and grabbing ahold of the railing. “I’ll let you guys, uh…talk.” She waved her free hand at the three of us standing in the foyer.
I glared at her. Partly pissed that she was a witness, and also pissed that she was about to leave me alone with them. It made no sense, but my thoughts and actions rarely did.
“Didn’t you have some cereal boxes to alphabetize?” I asked her through clenched teeth, pleading with my eyes for her to stay.
Her lips lifted into a tiny smirk. “Do it yourself.”
I shook my head and watched as she disappeared upstairs. A moment later, I heard the click of her door closing.
I pulled in a lungful of air and swiveled my gaze to my parents. Both stood with satisfied grins.
“What?” I groaned, starting toward the kitchen. “Spit it out. I know you both want to.”
“Us?” my mom said innocently behind me. “We have nothing to say.”
“M’kay,” I muttered sarcastically. “You guys hungry?”
“We stopped for breakfast,” my dad replied. “Stop stalling, Liam.”
I turned and braced my hands on the granite counter, my fingers tightening around the stone until they turned white.