Call It One-Sided

by Daniela Reyes

  She didn’t mention that Marco would have to wait until he was eighteen to visit her. They could video chat, email, call, but not much else. His dad had had full custody, but allowed for Adeline to visit if she wished. But Marco knew his mom was too busy running an art gallery in London to fly across the ocean to spend a few hours with him.

  “I’m still thinking about it.”

  His mom yawned.

  “Honey, I should get to bed. But I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

  Marco nodded. “Good luck with your exhibition on Friday.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Goodnight.”

  Marco closed his laptop as Abby walked into the living room.

  He’d thought no one was in the house, since Lucas was away at college and their dad had gone on a day trip to some museum with Vovô. Abby usually spent the morning busying herself in her societal solitude. Most of her friends still had full-time jobs, and the spouses of his dad’s friends and business partners didn’t include her in anything.

  Abby walked into the living room, each step more hesitant than the last. She wore a white tennis outfit, her gold waves pinned back into a ponytail. Marco looked up at her, not moving from the couch.

  “You didn’t join your dad and your grandfather?”

  “No.”

  She smiled but his own expression didn’t waver. “Was that Adeline? How is she?”

  Marco set his laptop aside.

  “Still in London, and she still doesn’t have custody of me. So she’s great.”

  Abby sat down. He scooted away.

  “Felipe would let her see you here, if she came to visit.”

  He laughed at that. “Right. Or he could let me move to London like I’ve asked for years. Look, this isn’t any of your business.”

  Marco had said this variation of words to Abby a few times, usually when his dad wasn’t around. She never reacted, never did more than stay silent. It was the truth. Plain and simple.

  Abby folded her hands in her lap. It looked like she’d gotten a fresh manicure. “I know it has nothing to do with me, but you know I’m here, if you ever need to talk.”

  “Great,” Marco said. She didn’t look up at him. During his parents’ divorce, the paparazzi had been around the house for days on end, trying to snap a picture of the otherwise private Silva family. It’d been the first time Marco had seen his face in a gossip magazine. He’d been thirteen back then, barely old enough to realize that going forward his whole life was going to change.

  His parents had had one of the most expensive divorces in all of Glensford history, probably across all of Massachusetts. The whole cheating with the nanny just added more fuel to the fire.

  Marco got up, tucking his laptop under his arm. He needed to research where he could take Cecilia for his grand confession. He thought about getting her enough flowers to fill a whole room, or maybe taking her to a concert, only to have one of her favorite songs played last. He’d have to find out her favorite song. It would be a good fact to have in his back pocket.

  “Wait,” Abby said.

  That was new, usually she just let him walk away.

  “What?” Marco asked. “Are you going to try and get me top open up again? You can stop the act. My dad’s not here.”

  “We want to try and have a child of our own,” Abby said.

  Marco froze, every limb tightening. He gripped his laptop. His dad and Abby had been together four years, nearly five, and married for less than six months.

  If Abby and his dad had a kid, it would be someone else to split the Silva fortune with. Marco recoiled at the thought. He snapped his head toward her.

  “Going for a long-term investment?” he asked. “Finally showing your true colors.”

  “That’s not it,” Abby said, her voice cracking. “I’ve always loved children and wanted a family of my own.”

  Marco laughed even louder. He wondered if Lucas knew about this. Even if his perfect older brother had, he wouldn’t have told Marco, not unless he’d had their dad’s approval.

  “If you wanted a family of your own, you shouldn’t have broken up someone else’s,” Marco said. Abby’s eyes widened. She was definitely crying. He took a step back and looked around the room until his eyes landed on the newly-framed painting his dad had gifted Abby. She’d spent a month on it. He knew only because that was all she ever talked about at their forced Friday dinners.

  He didn’t think, because in moments like this his body acted first. Marco had the frame in his grip a second later. He pulled it off the wall, balancing on his fingers, thinking of how much better his mom’s paintings were. He sighed. He wasn’t going to throw it, he just wanted it off the wall, out of the house like he wished Abby to be.

  Abby was definitely crying now.

  That was when the front door opened.

  The steps were heavy, slow at first and then quick.

  “Abby,” Felipe said. “What’s wrong?”

  Marco turned around, knowing there was no escaping some lecture from his dad now. He still had the painting in his hand. His dad’s eyes zoned in on him an instant later, tired but full of rage.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” His voice rose. “Put that down. Now.”

  He consoled Abby, rubbing her back as though she was a child.

  Marco watched them. He’d take the lecture and go to his room.

  “I was just admiring Abby’s work,” he said, not hiding the sarcasm. “I thought you were on a trip with Vovô.”

  “Is that why you thought it was your chance to yell at your stepmother? Because that’s what a coward does, Marco, waits until everyone is gone to insult someone who they know won’t defend themselves.”

  Marco set the painting on the ground. “I’m a coward?”

  Felipe rubbed his temples. “Get out,” he said. “Get out of my house, unless you’re ready to apologize to your stepmother.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Abby said. She wiped away her tears in the most dramatic way possible. Marco scoffed.

  “Well then, I guess I’ll have to leave,” he said. He’d take Greg and make a turn around the neighborhood, until his dad cooled down.

  “Then go,” Felipe said. “I won’t let you treat Abby this way. I’ve tolerated your behavior long enough.” He turned to Abby. “You can’t excuse it anymore. He’s nearly an adult.”

  Marco didn’t want her to try and step in again. “I’ll go,” he said. His dad would be over this soon, then Marco could come home and sleep. He figured he’d used the time to make some calls for the big confession he had planned for Cecilia. Her family was hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. That gave him a little less than a week to sort everything out.

  Felipe stood by Abby, watching as Marco stepped out the door. He didn’t turn back to look at either one of them. He texted Greg, then sat by the fountain in front of the house, until the familiar black BMW pulled up.

  “Where would you like to go?” Greg asked. Marco decided not to mention that he’d forgotten to add ‘sir’ to his question.

  “Drive around the city for a while,” he said. “Maybe for an hour. I’ll be making some calls until then.”

  Greg nodded. He pressed a button, and the partition rolled up. Marco connected to his cell phone hotspot and began researching the best flower companies in Glensford. He’d order enough flowers to fill the whole banquet hall, maybe balloons too. No. Balloons would be tacky, and Cecilia was the farthest thing from that. He decided to go for less showy.

  A half hour or so into the car ride Marco’s phone buzzed to life. The screen showed his brother’s name. He picked up.

  “What? Also did you know about Dad and Abby trying to have kids?”

  “Where are you?” Lucas asked, ignoring both questions. “I’m at the house. Your things are sitting out here.”

  Marco paused. He sat up straighter, closing his laptop. “What do you mean? Is Dad there?”

  “He called me,” Lucas said. “He asked if you could sta
y with me for the time being. Marco, what did you do this time?”

  “Why do you automatically assume I did something?”

  “Because Dad isn’t this dramatic.”

  “I may have said something to Abby, nothing undeserved.” Marco waited. “Lucas?”

  “Look, he probably needs the night to think things through. Just stay at my place tonight, and have Greg drive you home after school tomorrow.”

  “I’m not spending the night anywhere other than my room.” He wondered what Abby had said after he’d left. She’d probably exaggerated the whole situation.

  “I have an eight a.m. class tomorrow,” Lucas said. “If you try and fight Dad on this, I’ll be stuck here all night. Please, just stay the night.”

  Marco’s dad had only made him stay at Lucas’s one other time, over a year ago, the night he’d announced his engagement to Abby. It’d been a week after Cecilia and Marco had kissed. Also the last night Marco had been allowed to drive himself around.

  That had been much worse than this, though. But sometimes his brother was right. It was too late in the night to pick fights.

  “Greg,” he said. “Take me home.”

  “Yes, sir,” Greg said. Then he turned the car around. The drive felt shorter, the night darker. Lucas stood at the front of the house, next to two large suitcases.

  Marco rushed out of the car. He picked up one of the suitcases. It felt like a month’s worth of clothes were inside. He looked at Lucas.

  “What did he say?”

  Lucas sighed. “He said he’s kicking you out until you decide to act like you’re a part of this family.”

  Marco didn’t laugh this time. “He can’t do that. I’m his son.”

  “You’re the son who insulted his wife. Look, let’s just go. I’ll try and talk to him tomorrow.”

  “He can’t kick me out,” Marco said again. The words came out softly, almost a whisper. Lucas grabbed one of the suitcases and piled it into his trunk. Then he reached for the other, but Marco stopped him. “I’m not leaving.” He turned to the door, thinking how easily his dad was doing this.

  “Please don’t,” Lucas said. “Marco, come on.”

  Marco didn’t feel angry anymore, he just… he just wanted to be alone. He let Lucas take the suitcase as he slid into the backseat. He rested his head against the window. Lucas closed the trunk and took the driver’s side.

  “You know Dad,” Lucas said. “You shouldn’t have said whatever you did to Abby. She’s our stepmom.”

  “She’s not my anything.”

  Chapter 5

  “You want to work the Hollace’s Thanksgiving dinner on Friday?”

  It was the ghost hour, right after school let out, but before most people left work. Elena had rushed to Melo’s as soon as the last bell had rung in her AP Literature class. Will, who’d rushed back with her as soon as his tutoring job had ended, had a folder open, with the list of events that would be taking place at the Glensford Country Club this week. Melo Coffee sometimes posted events, in case employees wanted to work as extra staff for major holidays. The pay wasn’t terrible either.

  “Yes,” Elena said. “I need the money.”

  Will closed the folder, giving her a curious look. “What for? Or is this one of those things you won’t tell me about until way later?”

  Elena hadn’t thought about a lie for this. She didn’t want to tell Will about Bee’s, but he already knew about the change in ownership. She’d spent the whole day thinking about the late rent, and the possibility of having to leave the bookshop behind. Not just the bookshop either; if they lost Bee’s, she and her dad would need a new place to live, an apartment that they probably couldn’t even afford at this point.

  “I want to have an emergency fund,” Elena said, finally. It wasn’t a total lie. Having savings to help pay rent could count as an emergency.

  Will leaned in. “Do you need money? I don’t mind-”

  “No,” Elena said. She heard the sharpness in the word. “Your money’s yours. I just think it’s time I had a bigger savings buffer. The whole situation with the ownership change had me thinking; we don’t own the building, the new owner could raise the rent when our lease ends, they could even decide to not renew the lease. It’s good to have a backup.”

  “Doesn’t your dad have a backup? I thought you guys had a great accountant.”

  Elena bit her lip. She needed to move the conversation away from finance talk. She was worried, sure, but they’d be fine. “So, do they have an extra spot that day?”

  Will nodded. “I was working that event actually, but something came up, so I’ll let them know you’re filling in for me. It does pay well, I think fifteen an hour plus any tips, not that I would count on too many of those.”

  Elena shrugged. “It’ll be a Thanksgiving dinner, maybe they’ll feel generous.”

  Will wrote her name down on the list of employees. Elena walked closer to make sure he really was typing it in. She got too close, so that when Will looked back up, their faces were about an inch or two apart.

  Elena stumbled and in an instant Will had an arm against her back. She could feel the warmth of his hand traveling across her whole body.

  Will didn’t let go. He looked at her with an intensity she hadn’t registered before.

  “Elena, I need to tell you something.”

  “Okay.”

  Elena’s heart thudded against her chest. She could hear the thumping of it in her head, louder and louder.

  Will let go, gently letting her find her balance. “So there’s one part of the New York trip I didn’t mention.”

  “What part was that?”

  “The part where I sort of went on a few dates with Cecilia Hollace. She’s the friend from the school tour. And she’s invited me to the Thanksgiving dinner next Friday.”

  “Oh. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I know how much you dislike anyone, other than Mia, who goes to San Mateo Prep, or did so at any point in time.”

  “I don’t dislike everyone that goes to San Mateo Prep.”

  “You know what I mean,” Will said. “You hate any member of our city’s ‘upper crust’ as you so lovingly refer to them. And I didn’t want to tell you about Cecilia because I really like her. I wanted a chance for me to get to know her without hearing your official stance on her.”

  “My stance?” Elena crossed her arms. “I’ve never taken a stance against any of the girls you’ve dated.”

  Will smiled nervously at that. “You always bring up something that’s wrong with them. And then I can’t stop thinking about what you point out, until it’s literally the only thing I notice. Then I use it as an excuse for it not to work out.” He sighed. “My point is, Cecilia is nothing like you would imagine.”

  “I don’t know her enough to imagine anything,” Elena said. She didn’t take stances. She was only honest when Will asked her what she thought about the girls he dated. It was his fault if he fixated on her answer. “I’ve only heard of her through Mia.”

  “There’s also the Mia bit,” Will said. “I didn’t want you to feel like you had to take sides.”

  “There are no sides to take, you two broke up months ago. Besides, she isn’t talking to me.”

  “That doesn’t mean you’ve stopped being friends. Look, for now, Cecilia and I are getting to know each other. I just thought it was better if I told you, that way when you see us as the dinner together you won’t be caught off guard.”

  “Well, then, thanks for telling me.”

  “You’re mad.”

  “I’m not.”

  Will reached out for Elena. She pulled away. His touch would be her absolute undoing.

  “Elena-”

  The front door opened. Marco was wearing his San Mateo Prep uniform. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. The taller guy next to him spoke. Elena recognized him as Lucas, the decent Silva brother.

  “Hey, Will,” Lucas said. He smiled at Elena, but it
was obvious he didn’t remember her. “I’ve brought a new trainee.”

  Marco rolled his eyes. Elena looked between Will, who didn’t seem surprised, and Lucas, who kept smiling. What did he mean, a new trainee? It was a rule at Melo’s that the person who worked the least hours helped train new employees. Managers supervised, but the other employee helped the trainee.

  “Marco’s going to be working here, starting today,” Lucas said. “I hope it isn’t too much of an inconvenience.”

  “Of course not,” Will said, because what else could he say to the son of his boss? Elena kept her eyes on Marco. He looked like he didn’t want to be there as much as she didn’t want him there. Her shift started in fifteen minutes. And being the part-timer with the shortest schedule meant she’d have to train him.

  It wouldn’t be up to Will either, because he was working the latte bar today. And he wasn’t the manager, Laura was, but she took a very lax managerial approach, as in she kind of let Will be the manager when she took her long breaks.

  “This might be a temporary thing,” Lucas said. “But for now, please train Marco as you would train any other employee.”

  Right. That was a joke. Elena wondered if her bottom lip was bleeding at this point, from how hard she was biting it to keep her words down. Marco said nothing.

  “I’ll be back at eight to pick him up. Again, sorry for the short notice.” He looked at Elena, with a charm that calmed her. “Thank you for taking him on your team. If he’s too much trouble, let me know.”

  Will looked at her, and she looked at Marco and then back at Will. First the news that he was dating Cecilia Hollace, and now this. She thought she’d been having a good day.

  “Come with me,” Elena said. “I’ll show you where the uniforms are.” It took Marco a second to realize the words were meant for him. He took a few steps toward her. Elena turned to Lucas. “I’ll make sure to train him like all our employees.”

  Lucas smiled, like he really meant it. “It’s all I can ask for.” He pushed Marco closer to Elena. “I’ll see you after your shift.”

  Will gave Elena a grateful look. Lucas started to talk to him about something as she walked with Marco toward the changing rooms.