Page 63 of Inevitable

“Drew,” Alicia said, sounding pleasant enough. “What a nice surprise.”

All very civil. A good start, Bas supposed.

“Mom.” The smile on Drew’s face hurt. His hope hurt.

Bas was not usually a pessimist, but Drew’s parents were the one area where his glass was always empty.

“And Basil. Hello.”

“Yeah, hi,” Bas mumbled. He nodded to Ellie, Drew’s sister. She and Bas had never been close. Ellie and he were two very different people. But Ellie had been doing her best to fix the relationship between Drew and their parents and had never seemed to dislike Bas, so he had to appreciate that about her.

Awkward silence ensued, but that was to be expected, so Bas didn’t mind. It was better than passive-aggressive remarks.

“So we were—”

“Ellie and I—”

Drew chuckled. “You first.”

“Ellie and I have a standing date. We visit a different restaurant every week. Gives us time to catch up.”

“That sounds nice.”

Again with the fucking hope. Drew seemed to consider those tiny tidbits about his family’s life as a sign his parents were letting him back in. To Bas it had always been like a glaring reminder that Drew wasn’t included.

“It’s our mother-daughter time.” Ellie sounded like she wanted to make it clear they weren’t excluding Drew this time. That the reason he wasn’t invited was the nature of their outing.

“Fun.”

“It’s a break for both of us,” Alicia said.

“Dad’s at home?” Drew asked.

Alicia waved her hand breezily. “No. He’s having some tests done while we’re out.”

Drew frowned.

“Tests?”

“Routine procedures. It’s a follow-up appointment since he had his health scare in the spring.”

Drew’s jaw clenched. Bas could read every emotion like it was presented to him in blinking neon lights. Worry. Irritation at having been left out of the loop. Uncertainty about whether or not he was allowed to ask more.

“His heart’s been acting up,” Alicia said. “Nothing to worry about, though. He most likely has to adjust his diet again. I don’t predict he’ll be happy about it.”

Ellie glanced toward Drew and gave an apologetic shrug. She gave him updates about the family, of course, but it seemed that tidbit had somehow fallen through the cracks. She let out a laugh that was trying to be light-hearted but still managed to be filled with tension.

“He won’t be happy, will he? God, remember when the doctor explained egg-white omelets to him?” Ellie said.

Ellie and Alicia both laughed at whatever memory the mention of omelets had brought forth. Bas looked at Drew. The man smiled, even though he couldn’t have had any idea what the joke was because everything Alicia and Ellie were describing had happened After.

After Drew had been effectively pushed out of his family.

After his parents had cut off all his attempts to open a line of communication after he’d moved in with Bas.

After Bas had picked up the pieces of the carnage the Holloways had left behind.

“How have you been?” Alicia asked Drew.