The Patchwork Hearts

Chapter THIRTY FIVE

Maya

Marcus stays for a little bit of the afternoon, but says he has some work to do and leaves, after kissing me hard against the wall by the door. I'm confused, in general. My body pretty much knows what it wants - Marcus. But I can't just go off of that. Our talk did little to nothing to help me. He says he's okay doing this and not labeling it, but he also wanted to make sure I knew that he's got feelings for me.

   I'm perfectly on board with continuing our one or two time a week sex adventures. But my heart isn't doing somersaults for Marcus. I don't think about him constantly or wonder what he's doing. And knowing this is a burden, because I can't keep doing this, knowing he'll keep falling harder and his heart is too fragile.

   His slutty ex girlfriend cheated on him at a wedding? At Kayleigh's wedding? Geez, I now know why Kayleigh was so adamant about me being careful with Marcus. And I will be. I have to be.

   I spend half an hour Facetiming with Willow, who mostly just carries around the iPad while talking in her cute little toddler voice. Nella is cooking some fancy chicken casserole to bring to dinner at Annie's, and I'm trying to help by keeping Willow occupied. George is working until 4P.M., and then Nella and I will be on our way to our dinner.

   When I go out of my apartment and downstairs to wait for my sister, I keep thinking about what she said, about me not being able to move on. I thought I had, honestly. I thought by me leaving town, I was moving on. But Nella is so right. I had only pushed down my pain and got tangled up in that mess in Albany, and now there are so many loose ends here. God, this would be easier if Holden was still in L.A.

   It's quiet as we drive to Annie's house. There's a long driveway leading to a nice, modern house. It's big. The front door is painted red and there's a big wrap around porch.

   Nella smiles at me before knocking on the door. I notice there are two vehicles in the driveway, two trucks. My heart is beating too fast as we wait, because I really don't know what to expect with this dinner.

   But then the door swings open. It's not Annie, smiling back at us. It's not even her husband, who I've never met. It's her son. It's Holden.

   I step back, and I feel like I'm looking at a ghost. This isn't a random thing, like seeing him in public like I have before. This is Holden, shirtless, standing in front of me, at his mom's house. Nella is holding a damn casserole dish and he's just staring at us.

   "Hello," Nella says, after a very long awkward silence. "Uh, I don't think we knew you were going to be here."

   He shakes his head because he's confused, too. His mouth is half open and it's obvious he does not know what to say.

   "This feels like... you weren't expecting us," Nella goes on, looking at me and then back to him.

   Why doesn't he have a shirt on?

   "I wasn't." His words come out sharp. He's not looking at me.

   "Do we have the wrong day?" Nella asks me. I shake my head but can't talk.

   "Wrong day?" Holden ask, because, man, is he ever confused.

   "Your mom invited us over, for dinner. Tonight," Nella says, and I feel like someone punched me in the chest. Holden is not supposed to be here.

    "Oh. So, wow. Um..." He is talking but he's not saying anything. "My mom's fiance actually fell off a ladder, this afternoon, and had to have surgery on his leg. Uh, I guess my mom... I guess she forgot about this dinner. She's... she forgets things."