Matchmaker (Empire High #4) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,105

eyes.

Mrs. Alcaraz was standing there with her hand on her hip staring down at Kennedy and me intertwined on the couch. She was shaking her head back and forth like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Shit.

“Mama,” Kennedy groaned, stirring in her sleep. “One more minute.”

Mrs. Alcaraz raised her eyebrow at me. “Omelet?”

Was she asking me if I wanted breakfast or did that mean something in Spanish like…I’m going to kill you for sleeping with my daughter? “Yes?” I replied.

“Sí.” She turned away without another word and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Kennedy,” I whispered and shook her shoulder.

Her eyes flew open and then she smiled. “Whenever I wake up and you’re there it nearly gives me a heart attack.”

Very funny. “Um, your mom is up.”

Kennedy quickly sat up. “Good morning, Mama.”

“Mhm,” Mrs. Alcaraz said. She was already at the stove cooking.

Kennedy put her face in her hands. “Well, that’s embarrassing,” she whispered to me. “She probably thinks we’re sleeping together.” She laughed like that was hilarious.

It wasn’t funny to me. I pulled her hands away from her face. “Is that really that funny?”

“Are you still drunk?” She climbed off the couch. “I need to go freshen up. Make yourself at home.”

“Don’t leave me here…”

But she was already hurrying toward the bathroom.

This was probably the most awkward morning after ever. Especially because we hadn’t even kissed, let alone had sex. And honestly, I never did mornings after. Normally I would have been long gone…shit. I pulled out my phone. Dozens of missed calls from Tanner. He was going to kill me for staying out all night again. I wasn’t used to having a stupid curfew.

“Sit, sit,” Mrs. Alcaraz said before I could figure out what to do.

I didn’t want to tell her no. And maybe this could help me clear up whatever she thought. “We just fell asleep watching a movie, Mrs. Alcaraz.”

She tilted her pan, sliding the omelet perfectly onto a plate, and then handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

For a second we both just stared at each other.

Mrs. Alcaraz sighed and then reached out, putting her hands on both sides of my face. “Mi amor.” She shook her head back and forth. “She just came back home to me. Por favor. Don’t break my Kennedy’s heart and send her running.”

“I won’t.”

“Bueno.” She patted my cheek before letting her hands fall. “Now eat. It’s getting cold.”

Kennedy reemerged in a dress that accentuated her long legs. And those worn boots looked perfect on her. “I’m running late,” she said. “I’ll have to skip breakfast this morning.”

“Nonsense.” Mrs. Alcaraz slid an omelet onto a plate for Kennedy. “You eat your breakfast.”

Kennedy made a funny face at me, then grabbed her plate and sat down. She started eating as quickly as possible. That seemed like the go-ahead on mine. I took one bite and it was so spicy that I could feel my throat closing up. I’d eaten here dozens of times when I was in high school. And never had Mrs. Alcaraz tried to kill me. I started coughing into my hand.

Mrs. Alcaraz laughed at the stove.

“Mama, did you put extra spices in his?” Kennedy scolded and grabbed a container of milk out of the fridge. She poured me a glass and handed it to me. “Drink that.” She turned back to her mom as I downed half the glass. “It was my fault. We fell asleep watching a movie. Nothing happened.”

“No boys sleep over,” Mrs. Alcaraz said.

“It wasn’t a sleepover. It was an accident. And it was my fault.”

Sweet hell. What was in that omelet? A whole cayenne pepper? I downed half the glass of milk.

“No boys,” Mrs. Alcaraz said.

Kennedy sighed. “Yes, Mama.”

“I’m so sorry,” Kennedy said to me. “You okay?”

I finished the milk and nodded. “Yes,” I croaked.

Kennedy laughed.

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny.” She couldn’t even hide her smile.

Which made me smile too.

“Here.” She swapped plates with me and devoured the rest of my poisoned omelet in record time.

I was very impressed. How was she not crying? I was pretty sure I’d cried after one bite. But the omelet her mom had made for her was significantly more palatable than mine.

Mrs. Alcaraz sat down at the table with her own omelet. “Lo siento,” she said and patted my cheek. “Now off to work. Both of you.”

Kennedy kissed her mom on the cheek before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the door. She laughed as we ran through the hallway. I had no idea why we were running. But