Chapter 25

Carter sets the table while Helen and I finish up dinner. I try my best not to think of how Gabby must be clinging onto Carter by now. Just seeing her hug him annoyed me. I can’t stand her.

“Try this,” I say to Helen as I hold up a spoon for her.

She takes a bite of the chicken Kiev and grins. “Turned out great, didn’t it?”

I nod and smile. I love it when we try new recipes or when Helen teaches me to make a new dish. It’s our way of bonding, and lately we haven’t done enough of it. Kate has been pushing me away and I haven’t been coming over every single day like I used to. She’s been making me feel like I’m intruding, and I’m worried I might actually have been. I never meant to, but I guess I got a bit too comfortable here. I overstepped.

Helen takes a bite of the cauliflower mash and sighs in delight. “This is amazing, Milly. I love this. We should definitely make mash more often.”

Carter walks into the kitchen with a stormy expression and looks at us. “Just shoot me now,” he says.

Helen and I both burst out laughing. Carter shakes his head and walks towards me. “Minx, I’m not joking. If she looks at me with those wide bug-like creepy eyes one more time, I might actually cry. I’m terrified.”

His arms slip around my waist, and he pulls me closer. I look up at him and giggle as I shake my head. Helen clears her throat and Carter steps away from me, startled. It’s like neither one of us realizes when we touch anymore.

“You two… I’ve ignored this for as long as I could, but I have to ask. Are you dating?”

My heart stops, and Carter looks as shocked as I do. My cheeks turn bright crimson and I shake my head. “I — no… we aren’t.”

Carter crosses his arms and stares at his mother thoughtfully. “What if we were?”

Helen sighs and leans back against the kitchen counter. “I love both of you kids, but you’re just that. You’re kids. I know I’m not your mother, Emilia, but we had an agreement that there would be no dating until you turn sixteen, which is still a couple of weeks from now.”

I nod and look down at my feet, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I’m so embarrassed.

“So it’s fine as soon as she turns sixteen?”

I look up at Carter with wide eyes and shake my head to tell him to knock it off, but he ignores me.

Helen sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry, Carter, but I don’t think it’d be a good idea for you two to date. For one, you’re far too young. I wouldn’t be opposed to it once you’re a couple of years older, but not now. And then there’s your sister. I think you know how she feels about the idea of you dating Emilia. What do you think it would do to her? You’ll be going off to college in a few months, but Emilia and Kate will still be here. Their friendship won’t ever be the same again because Kate will never get over it. She’ll view it as a betrayal, no matter how you try to explain. Besides, you’re teenagers. I’m sure you think your relationship could survive while you’re so far away from each other, but long-distance relationships are incredibly hard. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be in any relationship at all, at least during your first year of college.”

I bite down on my lip harshly and nod. She’s right, of course. I knew she’d feel this way, but I’m still upset. It still hurts to know that even Helen thinks Carter and I shouldn’t be together. I hate knowing that I’d be letting her down if I followed my heart. She’s the only mother figure I’ve got in my life, and the idea of her being disappointed in me breaks my heart.

Helen cups my cheek and sighs. “Milly, I love you as my own daughter. I always have. I’m not saying I don’t want you and Carter to ever get together, okay? Just not now. Not while you’re still so young and have so much of your lives left to live.”

I nod and try my best to keep my tears at bay. I’m not even sure why I’m suddenly so upset. Carter and I already decided to stay away from each other anyway. It’s not like we’re dating and she’s asking us to break up, yet it feels that way. Carter looks as upset as I am and runs a hand through his hair, messing it up.

Kate walks into the kitchen and freezes, her eyes moving between us as she takes in the tense atmosphere. Helen smiles at her and hands her a serving dish. “Let’s go have dinner, kids.”

Carter and I are both quiet as we sit down, both of us lost in thought.

“So Carter, what college are you planning on going to?” Gabby asks. Carter looks up at her dazedly, his response delayed.

“USC,” he replies. My heart sinks from the reminder. Carter will soon be gone and I’m not sure I can handle that. The idea that he’s leaving terrifies me. He’ll forget about me and move on with his life soon. He’ll be at college and he’ll be moving on to bigger and better things while I’ll still be stuck here in Woodstock. I have no doubt that he’ll make it to USC in LA. Soon he’ll be so far out of reach that I’ll be lucky if we even remain friends.

“Oh, my cousin goes there. I might go see her and we can hang out then. How fun would that be?” Gabby says. Carter doesn’t respond and Kate glares at him, but he doesn’t even seem to notice, he’s as lost in his thoughts as I am.

Gabby focuses her attention on me and smiles. “It’s kind of surprising that you’re always here, Emilia. Kate and you didn’t even hang out today. Do you have dinner here every day? That’s so weird. Don’t you have your own family? Doesn’t your mom make you dinner?”

I freeze, my heart twisting painfully at the memory of my mom. The older I get, the harder it becomes to remember her. I haven’t tried to get in touch with her since my dad told me she accused me of stalking her. She walked out of my life and I was a fool to hang onto her when she chose to leave me. I’ll never, ever do that again. I’ll never cling to someone who leaves me.

I look down at my plate, unsure of what to say. Kate didn’t invite me to dinner, and I’m still here. I’m old enough to make my own dinner now, so I should probably stop coming over every day.

“Oh wait, you don’t have a mother, do you?” Gabby says.

William straightens and looks at Gabby furiously. “That’s enough. I won’t have you insulting or hurting Emilia in my house. You either apologize or leave,” he tells Gabby.

I’m shocked and really touched. William is a man of very few words and usually leaves Helen to solve issues however she sees fit. I can count the amount of times he’s scolded one of us on one hand. Even Kate looks surprised to hear her father speak up. She nods in agreement, but her expression clouds over when Carter speaks up.

“Leave,” he tells Gabby. “I’m done putting up with you. You’re no longer welcome in my house. If you want to hang out with Kate, you can do so at school or elsewhere, but not here.”

Kate frowns. “That’s a bit harsh. Gabby isn’t wrong, is she? Why the hell would you ban her from the house when she’s done nothing wrong? All because Emilia can’t handle the truth?”

Carter looks at her in disbelief. “I can’t even recognize you anymore, Kate. Take a good look in the mirror and see if you can look yourself in the eye after the words you just spoke. I’ve never been more disappointed in you.”

Kate gulps, and her eyes fill with pain. I hate that I’m at the center of this conflict and that there’s nothing I can do about it. Kate gets up with such force that her chair topples over. She looks at Carter with tears in her eyes and storms off. Gabby jumps up to follow her and glares at Carter and me before walking away.

“Kate! Stop right there,” Helen shouts. Kate glances back at her mother and then turns away and walks out. Helen jumps up and follows her while Carter grabs my hand.

“Kate hasn’t been herself recently, Minx. Don’t worry about it, okay? You’re always welcome here,” he says.

I nod, but I know it isn’t true.