That left me with an unscheduled open Monday night. That was rare. Like, super rare. So rare that I wasn’t sure what to even do with myself. Every other time I had Kadie stay overnight with my mama, I’d scheduled my plans weeks in advance, and they usually involved a movie or the Wild Mustang.
Once I settled into my car, I pulled out my phone and dialed Perri.
Several rings passed before she answered.
“Hi,” Perri said.
“Hey, Perri. I’m open tonight. What are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Aspyn. I’m out with Carl tonight. Well, in with Carl.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, I’m over at his place.” She giggled. “Oh, stop, you!”
“What? Stop what?”
“Sorry, I meant Carl, not you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, you two have fun. The last thing you need is a third wheel.”
They were definitely back on the hot side together.
“Thanks, Aspyn. Sorry again, though.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I hung up.
I knew I couldn’t call Joe. He had a wife and kids. His days of hanging out because a bored friend called him up were long gone.
Looking down at my phone, my gaze rested on Alex’s name. I could call him. He’d asked to go out.
I shook my head. It was a bad idea. Even Alex said he’d wanted to hang out as a family, not go on a date. And I didn’t trust myself around him. Without the anger to push me away from him, I couldn’t help but be pulled toward the blond-haired, gray-eyed man who haunted my dreams at night.
Whether or not I called Alex, that didn’t stop me from being any less hungry. I didn’t feel like cooking. I pulled my keys out of the ignition, deciding I wasn’t going to drive.
It was a nice evening. It was time for a little walk.
* * *
Mama Rossetti’s always had great pizza, so in the end, when I spotted it, I headed toward the door. Or maybe it was that my stomach was now threatening to eat itself. My walking plan hadn’t seemed so smart after 15 minutes.
I opened the door and inhaled deeply. The delicious smells of sausage, herbs, and spices tickled my nose, which only my stomach rumble more. I hurried toward an open table and then stopped dead in my tracks.
“No way,” I whispered.
Alex Kline sat in a corner booth, munching away on some pizza. As if sensing my eyes on him, he looked my way and waved.
I thought about turning around, but it’d be stupid. We weren’t on bad terms anymore, just awkward terms. And I was so hungry at that point, I didn’t dare leave.
I walked over to his booth and smiled at him. “Hey, Alex.”
“Hey, Aspyn.” He leaned and looked past me. “Where’s Kadie?”
“With Mama tonight.”
Alex nodded slowly, his brow furrowed. He gestured across from me. “Join me?”
“Sure, why not?”