Cheesy on the Eyes by Teagan Hunter Page 0,18
heart and put you off dating for good.”
I bark out a laugh when she calls him the asshole.
When Jaden and I split, I found out rather quickly that my parents abhorred him. When I ran to my mom with a broken heart as a snotty, ugly mess and told her what happened, she responded with “Halle-fucking-lujah!” then popped open a bottle of wine.
At eight AM.
“You and Dad worry about me too much.”
“Ha!” She sniffs. “We’re your parents. It’s our job to worry about you.”
“Yeah, but you guys are like…a little too invested.”
She lowers her menu—not sure why she’s bothering with it since we’ve been coming here since I was born—and eyes me. “I’m sorry for caring too much. I’ll knock that right off.”
“Now you’re just being annoying.” I poke my tongue out at her.
She retaliates by swatting at me with her menu and I try to dodge her advances, but for being so damn small, she’s got quite the reach on her.
Before I know it, I’m tipping over the edge of the booth in my efforts to get away.
Just when I’m certain I’m about to eat it in the middle of Slice, two strong arms wrap around me, saving me from a fall.
The scent of fresh ocean air and bergamot overwhelms my senses as the stranger rights me. I work to shove my wild hair from my face, wanting to get a glimpse of my hero.
“Oh my god. I almost ate it. Th—” The words die on my lips as I look up to see my savior. “Shut the fuck up.”
“Thea!” my mother scolds.
Sully chuckles, shaking his head. He crosses his arms over his chest, puts one leg over the other, and leans against the side of the booth, looking down at me. He’s so tall I arch back to get a good look at him. He’s wearing a faded orange shirt with some sort of fishing logo on it, and it stretches across his body, hugging it perfectly. He has that same cap from before pulled down on his head, and I kind of want to reach up and snatch it off. I want to see his hair. “I believe what you meant was Thank you.”
“No, no. I meant Shut the fuck up. What are you doing here?”
“Oh jeez,” Mom mutters, hiding her face behind her hands, clearly embarrassed by my lack of manners, but…seriously?
Of all the days for Sully and me to run into each other at Slice, it’s today…when my entire family is here.
Kill me now.
“I was hungry. And it might sound a little crazy, but they serve food here.”
That smirk of his I hate as much as I love appears across his lips. He looks so cool and collected as he stands above me, like he’s completely unaffected by my presence.
Me? Oh, I’m affected all right.
He’s toying with me like he did last time, flirting and smirking and looking all hot. Then he’ll follow it up with disappearing and never calling, just like he did last time.
I narrow my gaze, and my mom snorts out a laugh.
She looks at me but points to Sully. “I like him. He doesn’t take your shit. Who is he?”
Sully pushes off the booth, turning his charming grin on my mother. His smile is so bright against his tanned skin, proving he spends a hell of a lot of time out in the sun.
“Mrs. Schwartz, I presume?” He sticks his hand out.
My mother’s lips twitch as she glances between me and Sully, sliding her hand into his. “Yes, and you are?”
“I’m Sullivan.”
“Sullivan,” she says, giving his hand a slow shake before pulling back. Her eyes find mine, and there’s no mistaking the sparkle in them. She likes him. She likes the idea of me and him. She thinks he could be my Harvey. “And how do you know my Thea?”
“Oh, we met—”
“He’s my boyfriend!”
I don’t know why I blurt it out.
But it’s done.
Judging by the ecstatic grin stretching across my mother’s lips, she’s happy to hear it.
“Well then.” She turns her megawatt smile to my new “boyfriend.” “Sullivan, it’s lovely to meet you.”
“Please, call me Sully, ma’am. After all, you are my”—he looks at me, that smirk right back in its place—“girlfriend’s mother.”
I’m sorry, I mouth. Just go with it.
He gives his head a single imperceptible shake.
“And you can call me Letica. None of that ma’am nonsense—makes me feel old.” She waves her hand dismissively. “You should join us for breakfast, Sully.” My mother practically bounces in her seat at the