The Other Boy

obsessed about it, actually. Now he’s here and it’s a gorgeousday and you’re together . So just stop overanalyzing everything and enjoy the time you have.

Even as she psyched herself up, she knew that making this visit fun would be an uphill battle. 169

Chapter Nineteen

!

Maddy! Come on, we’re ready,” Maddy’s mother called from downstairs.

“Okay, coming!” Maddy examined herself carefully in the full-length mirror in her parents’ room. Her long, strapless white cotton sundress had a full, gathered skirt and a tight empire bodice. It just brushed her ankles and showed off her golden tan. She had twisted her hair up into a casual knot at the back of her head. A chunky enamel bracelet in red and blue was her only jewelry.

There was a tap on the door frame. She turned around.

“Hey, babe,” Brian said.

“Hi.”

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He had put on a blue button-down shirt and wet his hair down under the faucet. A leftover water droplet hung at his temple. He looked sexy as always.

“You look great,” he said, coming into the room.

“Thanks.”

“I brought your birthday present.”

Her heart lifted. Maybe everything was going to be okay after all. “What is it?” She sat down on the edge of the bed.

He sat down next to her and took a box out of his pocket. He smelled like Davidoff Cool Water and hair gel.

Maddy looked into his face. “You’re so sweet, babe,”

she said. “You didn’t even ask me what I wanted!”

“I know. I didn’t have to. Anyway, open it.”

Carefully, she pried open the little blue box. Inside was a huge silver heart pendant on a black silk cord. Maddy stared at it for a second and then remembered. A few months ago, she and Brian had been windowshopping in Union Square. They had just gotten Starbucks, and Maddy had stopped in front of a display of jewelry in front of Tiffany. The heart pendant shone on a bed of gray velvet. “Ohmygod, look at that gorgeous thing,” she’d said, tugging at Brian’s sleeve. “That would look so perfect with my summer tops.” She’d cast a sly, meaningful look at Brian.

“Dream on, babe,” he’d said with a laugh. “Su

Hailey Abbott

just got that same heart. It’s like fifteen hundred dollars.”

She had forgotten about it almost immediately, but Brian hadn’t, obviously. Now here it was, right in front of her and she honestly couldn’t have cared less. It looked different to her now, splashy and sort of cheap, for some reason. Maddy looked from the box to Brian’s face. He was gri

“It’s gorgeous!” she said. “I can’t believe you remembered!” It really is thoughtful, she told herself.

“I can’t believe I did either. It’s like a miracle or something.”

“Here, put it on me.” She handed him the box. He lifted out the pendant and placed the cord around her throat, struggling a minute with the tiny catch at the back. Maddy stood and looked in the mirror. The heart shone on her ta

Brian came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, watching their reflections in the mirror. “It looks awesome on you,” he said. He kissed the side of her neck and then slid his hand up from her waist. Maddy giggled nervously.

“Come on—we’re in my parents’ room!”

“So?” He tried to kiss her again.

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“Go away. I have to primp some more. Go talk to my Dad or something.”

Brian rolled his eyes and reluctantly headed toward the door. Maddy could hear his footsteps slowly descending the stairs. She turned back to the mirror and covered the heart up with her hand. Outfit perfect. She removed her hand. Outfit weird. Maddy massaged her forehead, where a headache was starting to squeeze her temples, and followed her boyfriend down the stairs.

“Happy birthday, honey!” her mom sang out as she entered the kitchen. “You look beautiful. I can’t believe I have a daughter who’s turning seventeen!” She put her arms around Maddy and gave her a long hug.

“Thanks, Mom. I can’t believe I’m seventeen either—

kind of amazing.” Maddy looked around the kitchen. A stack of plates was sitting on the table, along with a few bottles of wine, but there were no signs of cooking.

“Where’s all the food?”

“Oh, I’m not sure,” her mother said airily, busying herself with a vase of flowers.

“What do you mean, you’re not sure?” Maddy asked, confused.

“Just that—I don’t really know where the food is. Maybe the raccoons ran off with it.”

“Ha-ha. Something’s up, Mom. You’re terrible at keeping secrets.”

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Her mom picked up the vase. “You’re right, honey. I’ll tell you—we’ve decided to take you out to McDonald’s for your birthday.” The screen door banged behind her. Maddy followed her onto the porch. “Very fu

Her mother set the flowers on a little table. Maddy leaned against her side and laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. Standing hand in hand, they were silent for a moment, listening to the peepers. Until Maddy realized something. “Um, Mom, where’s Brian?”

“He’s in the living room with Dad. They’re having a nice chat.” Maddy doubted that somehow. She’d better go rescue, well, both of them.

The soft, familiar colors of the living room glowed in the orange light of the lamps. Maddy paused quietly in the doorway. Neither her father nor Brian noticed her standing there. Darkness pressed at the windows, and the wooden coffee table was piled with books and copies of Practical Winery & Vineyard. Her dad was sitting in the big armchair, his legs crossed, one hand swirling wine in a glass. Even from the doorway, Maddy could see that he was gripping the glass more tightly than necessary. Brian sat in a studiously casual pose on the green velour sofa, arm flung over the back, ankle crossed over knee. He tapped a little on the sofa arm and whistled under his breath. Her dad looked strained.

“Ah, so . . . how do you like the vineyard, Brian?” he asked politely.

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“It’s really nice.” There was another silence. “Really cool.”

“Yes, well, we can’t expect much the first year, of course, but after this fall we’re going to double our vine capacity,” Maddy’s father said with more vigor. Brian’s gaze started to wander. Her dad trailed off. The silence descended again. Her dad started to fiddle with the edge of a newspaper at his elbow.

“So, Maddy tells me you’re going down to L.A. after this weekend?”

“Yeah, my buddies and I are staying with some people in Malibu.”

“Oh, I see.” Silence again.

Maddy thought that if she had to listen to Brian and her father make any more small talk, she was going to pull her hair out by the roots. Why did he always clam up like that around her parents? Sure, they were a little odd sometimes, but they were just parents, she thought. He acted so stupid and stiff around them. “Hey, guys,”

she said brightly, entering the room. Both of them turned toward her with obvious relief.

“Hi, honey!” Her dad practically leaped to his feet.

“How’s the birthday girl?”

“Great.”

“Come on, you all, it’s time for the birthday girl’s di

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“Are you coming?” Maddy asked Brian, who was still sitting down.

“Yeah.” He took his time getting off the sofa. Maddy followed her mom into the kitchen and stopped short just inside the door.

“Mom!” she cried. “I can’t believe you brought the crown!” Sitting on the scrubbed round kitchen table was an object that resembled a Burger King crown with schizophrenia. It actually was an old Burger King crown—practically museum-quality. Dried macaroni, old pieces of faded yarn, shells, and plastic beads were stuck all over the gold cardboard with a liberal, crumbling layer of Elmer’s glue. Maddy had made the crown at her own princess-themed sixth birthday party. Everyone had had a glorious, sticky, messy time decorating their own crowns. On the front, Maddy had written maddy birthday girl in careful, wobbly print. She remembered being so proud that she’d made the G facing the right direction. The crown had been preserved and trotted out every year until Maddy finally forbade its appearance at her twelfth-birthday pool party. Her mother had seemed to understand at the time, and the crown hadn’t reappeared since—until now.