The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi
Chapter 18
On the east end of Chardon Square, kids talked over each other inside the coffee shop. The place was a hole-in-the-wall, and a favored hangout for just about everyone at the high school with a driver’s license and spare time. Weaving through the crowd, Quinn reached the counter.
Ordering a latte, he took stock of the pretty girls. With the wad of cash from Rae’s dad, he’d bought new boots. He’d left his crappy parka in the truck and had put on a clean shirt.
There were more girls outside, some with boyfriends. Nervously scanning the faces, he found the girl from the junior class he was looking for. Remembering the advice from Rae and Connor, he told himself to relax. Talking to Ava would be easier if his heart stopped thumping so hard and he got rid of the jitters. Play it cool.
Quinn didn’t have much experience talking to girls other than Lark, and she’d been more like a kid sister who’d gladly filled the long silences and had liked cooking as much as he did. She’d also loved Shelby and helping him out when his parents acted crazy. Suddenly he missed her more than anything. How she’d crack a joke when he was scared or feeling bad. If she were here right now, she’d tell him to stop stalling and go over to speak with Ava.
Confident and easygoing, Ava wasn’t very tall. He liked her long brown hair and big eyes. Sauntering near, he pretended to check something on his phone.
“Hey, Quinn.” Her lips curved, revealing white teeth.
She was making this easy, and he broke out a grin. “Hey.”
“Nice boots. New?”
He patted the cash in his pocket. “Splurge day. I helped my grandpa this morning. Gramps pays good—I guess you could say he spoils me,” Quinn said, falling into the story he’d been telling himself since coming to live with Rae and her dad. Stupid dreams, mostly, but now he almost believed them.
“What were you doing to help your grandpa?”
“Stuff around the yard. It’s still pretty cold, but we got a lot done.” He thought about saying they were hanging lights in the trees, but he worried that would sound like they were putting up Christmas decorations at the end of February. Instead he added, “We worked all morning—really wore Grandpa out. He’s home, taking a nap. He was supposed to go bowling with his crew, but he was too wiped out.”
Ava’s smile widened. “Your grandpa lives with you?”
“He moved in with us last month. We gave him the spare bedroom.” More lies, but he couldn’t seem to stop. The way Ava was looking at him, with her eyes full of interest, made him feel great. “My mom said it’s okay. She likes having someone new in the house. They’ve always been close.”
“You’re lucky—none of my grandparents live nearby. Mom’s are in Cincinnati, and Dad’s moved to Oklahoma. My grandma’s company relocated her. An HR job.” Finishing her coffee, Ava pitched the cup into the trash can. She looked at him expectantly.
“Want something else?”
Her friends were giggling as he held open the door and Ava strolled inside. She wanted a lemon bar. He ordered two.
They were licking the sticky icing from their fingers when she asked, “Which one’s your favorite? Of your grandparents?”
Quinn’s phone vibrated, and he nearly fell out of his role. He didn’t know much about his real grandparents. Both of his mom’s parents had done time in prison; he assumed they were dead. He hoped his paternal grandfather was dead. Mik’s stories of how he’d been treated as a kid seemed worse than the beatings he’d given Quinn over the years.
Ava nudged him from his thoughts. “You don’t have a favorite grandparent? That’s okay.”
“There’s just the one. He’s great, though. Gives me advice but never pushes. Helps me learn new stuff. If I had ten grandparents, he’d still rate as the best.”
They talked outside the coffee shop until the sun dipped below the courthouse. Ava’s girlfriends began checking their phones.
When he couldn’t draw up the nerve to ask for her number, she gave him an out. “See you at school.” She rejoined her friends. “Be good.”
He grinned. “You too.”
Climbing into his truck, Quinn savored the high emotion. The trig homework would take all night, but tomorrow he’d practice what to say when he ran into Ava on Monday. How to ask for her number. See if she wanted to meet next week.
His phone vibrated. It was his mom bugging him—again.
Pulling the phone from his pocket, he resolved to delete the texts. What would it cost to get a new phone? With all the extra work for Connor, the expense was doable. Then Penny couldn’t reach him.
He was about to swipe “Delete.” A twinge in his stomach persuaded him to open the text.
Don’t answer. See if I care. I talked to Rae. Get home, asshole.
Quinn reread the text as the bottom fell out of his world.