Curvy Girls Can't Date Bad Boys - Kelsie Stelting Page 0,40
hundred yards away, Ronan turned off the street.
Unlike the Thai place, we didn't go in through the back or eat on slanting cement steps. We sat in the main dining area with plates loaded with fried calamari, French fries, crab legs, and onion rings.
“This looks so good,” I said.
Ronan opened his mouth, but paused.
“I'm glad to hear you think that,” said a voice from behind me. An older woman with short hair smiled at us.
Ronan broke out in a grin and got up from the table to hug her tight. She smiled against his chest, squeezing him tighter.
I’d never witnessed him being so excited to see anyone before, and I watched the two with mounting curiosity. When they let go of each other, she kept one arm around him and he her.
“Zara, this is Norma. She's practically my grandma.”
“Practically?” Norma said, pretending to be offended. “As far as I'm concerned, I am your grandma.”
Ronan grinned. I was still taken aback to see him so lighthearted and at ease. This whole day, it seemed like I'd seen another side of him, a lighter side, and it made me like him even more.
“I hope you're treating my boy right,” Grandma Norma said with a wink.
She had the kind of smile that made me feel like she was already my best friend. It was easy to return the expression. “Of course,” I answered. “Only the best for Ronan.”
Ronan cast me an appreciative smile, like I’d just aced a test I hadn’t known I was taking.
She sat down at the table with us. “I hope you don't mind if I join you. It's been forever since I've seen this young man.”
“One year,” Ronan said.
“Forever,” she clarified.
“Please, sit,” I said. I reached for one of the appetizer plates and extended it to her. “Do you want to try some of my calamari? It’s delicious.”
She batted her hand at me. “I can always go back and make myself some if I'm hungry. I’m glad you like it, though.”
Grandma Norma owned the restaurant? Of course Ronan knew her.
Then she looked at Ronan. “I like this girl.
Ronan popped a piece of popcorn shrimp in his mouth and grinned at me. “She's a pretty good one.”
I loved the casual way he said it and the look in his eyes as he did. Like the words had even more meaning behind the simple statement.
For the next half hour or so, I listened as they caught up about the town and people who made a living there, commuting back and forth on the ferry every day. They even shared about the summer Ronan had stayed there between his junior and senior year.
Slowly, I was piecing together the story of his life, and I didn’t mind the gradual pace like I thought I would. Instead, each hint of information felt like a precious gem, a gift to add to a priceless collection.
“I saw your stepfather donated all that money to the hospital wing,” Grandma Norma said. “You must be so proud.”
The entire mood changed like a dark cloud had covered the sun and sent us into shadows. A blank look crossed Ronan’s face. I realized he was processing behind an emotionless mask. Finally, he said, “Yes, definitely proud.”
The words weren’t even bitter. They were worse. Lifeless.
“I mean, twelve million dollars to build a burn unit,” Norma gushed. “That's pretty special.”
Ronan slowly chewed and swallowed. I longed to grip his clenched hand, to smooth the line deepening between his eyebrows. This woman didn't know what his stepfather was like, or else she wouldn't have been asking him, wouldn't have been saying those things with such a sense of awe and admiration.
The door opened, and someone walked in. Upon catching sight of the man, Grandma Norma looked to Ronan and said, “I'm sorry I have a meeting. But I am so happy I got to see you and meet this sweet girl.” She squeezed him tight, and he gave her a hug back, even though I could tell he was still struggling with the news. I had wondered whether he knew about it, but now it's obvious he had not. I couldn't imagine how he felt.
A swear word I hadn’t heard from him before fell from his lips, and he said, “I need to get out of here.”
“Go,” I said. “I’ll pay.”
He stiffly stood from the table and walked outside, flinging the door open too fast. The bells clanged roughly against the glass, and I cringed, quickly reaching into my purse for some bills.