It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

“What do you want to drink?”
He swallows, and then shrugs. “Whatever.”
I go back to the kitchen and pour him a glass of ice water and then slide
into the booth across from him. He drinks half of it in one gulp.
“Your mother showed up here tonight,” I say. “She’s looking for you.”
He makes a face that indicates he doesn’t care, and then he continues
eating.
“Where have you been staying?”
“Places,” he says with a mouthful.
“Are you in school?”
“Not lately.”
I let him get in a few more bites before I continue. The last thing I want to
do is run him off with too many questions. “Why did you run away?” I ask.
“Because of her?”
“Sutton?”
I nod. I wonder what kind of relationship they have if he doesn’t even call
her “Mom.”
“Yeah, we got in a fight. We always fight over the stupidest shit.” He eats
his last bite, then downs the rest of his water.
“And your dad? Tim?”
“He left when I was little.” His eyes roam around the room, landing on the
tree. When he looks back at me, he tilts his head. “Are you rich?”
“If I was, I wouldn’t tell you. You’ve tried to rob me several times now.”
I can see a smirk playing across his lips, but he refuses to release it. He
relaxes into the booth more, pulling his hoodie away from his face. Strands of
greasy brown hair fall forward, and he pushes them back. His hair holds the
shape of a cut that’s long overdue, with sides that have grown out too long
and uneven to be intentional.
“She told me you left because of me. She said you didn’t want a brother.”
I have to hold back my irritation. I pull his empty plate of food and his
glass toward me, and I stand up. “I didn’t know about you until today, Josh. I
swear. I would have been around if I had.”
He eyes me from his seat, studying me. Wondering if he can trust me.
“You know about me now.” He says that like it’s a challenge to do better. To
prove his low expectations of the world wrong.
I nudge my head toward the doors to the kitchen. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
He doesn’t immediately get out of the booth. “Where to?”