The Wall of Winnipeg and Me - Mariana Zapata Page 0,88

changed. “The most exciting thing I’ve found out was that Aiden gets his groceries delivered once a week, and that he hired some lady who lives in Washington to answer his e-mails. Crazy stuff, huh?”

She went “hmm,” paused, and then asked, “Why does it feel like you’re lying to me?”

She could already tell. What the hell? And why was I surprised? “Because you’re crazy?” I offered, making a face into the phone in panic.

“Doubtful.”

“It’s more like a fact, but anyway, there’s nothing to tell you. We don’t see each other that much. The most he does is wave at me.” Sometimes he talked to me, but we didn’t have to be technical, did we?

“B-o-r-i-n-g.”

I groaned. “S-o-r-r-y.”

“Really? You don’t have anything juicy to tell me?”

“Nope.” I’d already worked for him for two years, if there was something bad to tell her, I couldn’t have told her anyway. I’d signed a non-disclosure agreement.

The disgruntled sound out of her mouth made me grin. “Fine. Are you going to El Paso this weekend after all?” she asked, already moving on, knowing if I hadn’t already told her something, I probably wouldn’t.

“Yes,” I confirmed with only the smallest bit of anxiety going through my stomach.

I was going to El Paso for my mom’s birthday.

Did I know I was more than likely going to regret taking the trip hours after I got there? Yes. Nine times out of ten, that had been the case.

But it was her fiftieth birthday, and her husband was planning a party for her. She’d love to see me there, he’d said to me. Lay on the guilt-trip, why didn’t he? I talked to her once a month. I figured that wasn’t too shabby to begin with considering everything.

From the way he’d made me feel, one call every four weeks wasn’t good enough. At least enough for me to feel obligated to go, even though my gut said it was a stupid idea.

“Where are you staying?”

“At a hotel,” I responded. I could stay with my mom if I wanted to, but I didn’t. The last time I’d stayed with her had ended terribly. There was also my two oldest sisters, but I’d rather camp out under a bridge than do that. Finally, there were my foster parents who I was planning on dropping by and visiting while I was in town, but I didn’t want to impose on them.

“Is Oscar going?” she asked about my little brother.

“No. He already started school.”

“Are you going by yourself?”

“Of course I’m going by myself,” I answered before thinking about just what I was saying.

Wasn’t the Three Hundreds’ bye week coming up? That was the week they got off a season to let the players rest. Should I go by myself? Would it be a good idea to take Aiden around my mom? My sisters? That idea had me cringing.

But I could have him around to break the news. Now that idea seemed like the only one that could have convinced me. There was no chance of my family members telling Diana or her family, so I wasn’t worried about it getting around that way. “Actually, maybe I won’t.”

The nosey broad took a swift intake of breath. “Really?”

“I might ask Aiden, so keep your mouth shut.”

“I will.” She was such a damn liar. I didn’t believe her at all. I didn’t believe she hadn’t told at least her brother that I was living with Aiden, but since no one had accused me of being a prostitute yet, I had started believing she’d actually kept her mouth shut for once in her life about why I’d moved in with him. She knew it was illegal, and we’d always joked that if one of us went to jail, we would both go, so we could pretend to be each other’s lovers.

The opening and closing of the garage door let me know someone was home. “I’ll tell everyone about your porn bookmarks if you don’t,” I threatened her with a snicker.

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

You never forget accidentally coming across your friend’s—predominantly man on man—porn bookmark folder, no matter how hard you try. “No.”

“Like you’ve never seen gay porn,” she sniped bitterly. “You think Susie might be at your mom’s?

And just like that, my nice, fine day was kicked in the shin. I bit the inside of my cheek and reached up to push my glasses further up my nose. “I don’t know. I talked to my mom a few days ago, but she didn’t mention