of food from her plate, causing her smile to widen at him.
Easton chuckles to himself, pulling my gaze between Ainsley and my brother to him. He notices where Ainsley’s attention is too as she stays saddled to Jesse’s side. I know the age is full of innocent crushes. I held quite a few with random people then too, and it only grew as I got older. When my roommate sees my plate still empty, he reaches for the veggie lasagna and grabs my plate to fill it.
“Thanks.”
Mom watches us as I accept the plate, her eyes twinkling as she smiles to herself. I’m not sure what she’s thinking, so I just focus on eating while everybody else talks about random things—jobs, weather, life.
Jesse says, “Carter mentioned you’re almost done with your semester. Said you’re doing well with teaching his class.”
For some reason, heat creeps up into my cheeks as I nod. I know everyone is watching. Well, everybody but Ainsley. She’s poking macaroni with her fork and eating happily while people wait for my response. “It’s been great teaching the course. I’m lucky he was there to help me when things didn’t work out at my last placement.”
Easton’s gaze especially burns from his close proximity, but I brush it off. It’s Mom who decides to speak. “He’s always been a good man. I wondered what he’s been up to since he moved. I still see his father mowing the yard once in a while. He always says hi. Nice people.”
I nod in agreement, not saying anything.
Dad picks at his plate. “He should stop by the house when he’s in town. Don’t know if he visits his father or not, but I hear they talk occasionally.”
“I’m sure he’d like that,” is all I offer. He told me not long ago he speaks to his father on the phone at least twice a month. Sometimes they’ll go out to eat, but I don’t know if he goes back to his childhood home.
Jesse leans back. “Considering teaching at college like him? I can picture it. Carter always wanted to be a professor. Talked about it ever since we were younger. But you’d make a good one too, Pipe.”
My brows raise. He thinks so? “Thanks, Jesse. I’m not sure what I’ll do, just that I’ll teach.” Going on to get my PhD didn’t seem logical. I loved being in front of Carter’s class, but I also loved being in front of the high school one too. Plus, that’s more debt on my shoulders for after I graduate.
“He could help you,” my brother replies causally.
I wet my lips when I see the way East’s jaw ticks. He doesn’t say a word, but I know he’s connected the dots. I’ve mentioned Carter’s name before in passing conversation—I’ve been on more dates with Carter and East has asked about them out of consideration. There’s distance though. The last time he asked, he didn’t really want to know.
Jesse doesn’t know about Carter and me, I can tell. I would have heard about it by now. Gotten the stares. Asked the questions. My family wouldn’t just sit here without grilling me about the guy they all knew I had a thing for. “He’s offered to help me figure things out since he knows the process.” Not wanting to dwell on the topic, I turn to Ainsley. “How’s dinner, Nugget?”
She smiles and signs, Good.
I tweak her nose and watch her go back to her food while my parents talk about Carter’s father. I participate once in a while whenever they ask something about school or graduation. I’m not attending the ceremony, which even Easton seems surprised by. Mom tells me I need to since I skipped my undergrad graduation too, but I don’t want to bother.
What I want is to go out to eat with people I care about, maybe plan a trip somewhere for a day or two. I want to enjoy my life and do it in ways that don’t hold me back. No barriers. No guilt. I look at Ainsley, and picture us in a car with the windows down and the radio up.
I see her talking.
Laughing.
It makes my smile falter for a moment.
“Piper?” It’s Easton who speaks.
I blink a few times before turning to him, lips twitching downward. He studies me, brows furrowed as he looks over my expression. What does he see? I’m not sure I want to know.
He quietly asks, “You good?”
Once again, Mom stares at me from across the table. I feel her