she was.
“Yes, ma’am,” I muttered.
She came forward and laid a hand on my cheek. “I don’t want to upset you. I even debated on telling you about the call. But you’re grown now.” Her eyes turned wistful. “And I’m so very proud of you. Therefore, I felt it wasn’t my right to keep this to myself. You have a right to make your own choice about whether you want to get in touch.”
“You really think there’s a choice?” I asked. Damn the way this still made me feel.
Stepping back, Mom pulled a piece of folded paper out of her back pocket and laid it gently on the counter beside me. I didn’t even look at it.
“It’s been a very long time, Braeden. I just want you to know I will love you no matter what. If you want to return his call, I’ll love you just the same.”
It had been a long time.
But it still wasn’t long enough.
I left the paper lying there, ignored. “Thanks for telling me. I love you, too, Mom.”
She wiped at her eyes and stepped away. “You better be getting back to the dorm. You need some sleep before classes start up again tomorrow.”
I grunted. “Yeah, and now I gotta get up early and train like a beast because of your damn good cooking.”
Her laugh was light, but it was genuine and made me feel a little less heavy.
“You gonna be okay here? I can stay the night.” I’d move back in if she needed me.
“I’m fine. Honestly. And it’s not your job to worry about me. I’m the mom. Not you.”
I made a face. “I’m too handsome to be a woman.”
She laughed. “Well, there is that.”
She moved around the kitchen, putting the brownies and a few other snacks and stuff into a bag, and then held it out for me.
“Rimmel wants to have dinner sometime soon. You up for that?”
“Of course!” She beamed. “I like her. She’s a sweet girl.”
“She likes you, too.”
“So tell me,” Mom probed. “When are you gonna bring a girl like that home to meet me?”
“Now why would I want to go and do that?” I drawled. “Then I’d have to share all your cooking.”
After we hugged and said good night, I went out and climbed in the truck. I tossed the bag beside me on the seat and blew out a breath. What the fuck had he called for? Why now? What could he possibly want?
I started up the truck and gunned the engine, listening to the sweet sound of the V8. My truck wasn’t pretty like the Hellcat, but it was full of testosterone. And even though I’d never tell Romeo, I knew damn well my beast could roll right over the Cat and still have a hundred thousand miles in him.
I gunned the gas one last time for good measure and prepared to back up. When I turned to look out the back window, I noticed the bag of food had fallen over and the containers were spilling out across the seat.
I picked them up and restacked them in the bag.
That’s when I saw it.
Instead of throwing it away like she should have, Mom tossed the folded piece of paper inside. I stared at it for a few minutes and then snatched it up.
When it was unfolded, I stared down at my mother’s handwriting.
Your father called. He wants you to call him back.
Beneath the words was a phone number I didn’t recognize.
I crumpled it up and threw it on the floorboards of the truck.
Fuck that. Calling him was the last thing on earth I’d ever do.
Chapter Twelve
Ivy
Ah the tangled webs we weave.
I have no idea who said it. I have no idea where I heard it. But it was the only thing in my head as I dragged my ass out of bed.
Hey, I might be a zombie, but I could still rhyme.
(Head + bed… Never mind.)
The first week back from spring break had been long and arduous. I swear the professors knew we were all still partially hung-over and depressed the time off was over, so they wanted to further our torment by assigning even more work than normal.
School really wasn’t my thing.
Socializing, checking out what everyone was wearing that day, and walking around campus… I liked all that. But I
“Yes, ma’am,” I muttered.
She came forward and laid a hand on my cheek. “I don’t want to upset you. I even debated on telling you about the call. But you’re grown now.” Her eyes turned wistful. “And I’m so very proud of you. Therefore, I felt it wasn’t my right to keep this to myself. You have a right to make your own choice about whether you want to get in touch.”
“You really think there’s a choice?” I asked. Damn the way this still made me feel.
Stepping back, Mom pulled a piece of folded paper out of her back pocket and laid it gently on the counter beside me. I didn’t even look at it.
“It’s been a very long time, Braeden. I just want you to know I will love you no matter what. If you want to return his call, I’ll love you just the same.”
It had been a long time.
But it still wasn’t long enough.
I left the paper lying there, ignored. “Thanks for telling me. I love you, too, Mom.”
She wiped at her eyes and stepped away. “You better be getting back to the dorm. You need some sleep before classes start up again tomorrow.”
I grunted. “Yeah, and now I gotta get up early and train like a beast because of your damn good cooking.”
Her laugh was light, but it was genuine and made me feel a little less heavy.
“You gonna be okay here? I can stay the night.” I’d move back in if she needed me.
“I’m fine. Honestly. And it’s not your job to worry about me. I’m the mom. Not you.”
I made a face. “I’m too handsome to be a woman.”
She laughed. “Well, there is that.”
She moved around the kitchen, putting the brownies and a few other snacks and stuff into a bag, and then held it out for me.
“Rimmel wants to have dinner sometime soon. You up for that?”
“Of course!” She beamed. “I like her. She’s a sweet girl.”
“She likes you, too.”
“So tell me,” Mom probed. “When are you gonna bring a girl like that home to meet me?”
“Now why would I want to go and do that?” I drawled. “Then I’d have to share all your cooking.”
After we hugged and said good night, I went out and climbed in the truck. I tossed the bag beside me on the seat and blew out a breath. What the fuck had he called for? Why now? What could he possibly want?
I started up the truck and gunned the engine, listening to the sweet sound of the V8. My truck wasn’t pretty like the Hellcat, but it was full of testosterone. And even though I’d never tell Romeo, I knew damn well my beast could roll right over the Cat and still have a hundred thousand miles in him.
I gunned the gas one last time for good measure and prepared to back up. When I turned to look out the back window, I noticed the bag of food had fallen over and the containers were spilling out across the seat.
I picked them up and restacked them in the bag.
That’s when I saw it.
Instead of throwing it away like she should have, Mom tossed the folded piece of paper inside. I stared at it for a few minutes and then snatched it up.
When it was unfolded, I stared down at my mother’s handwriting.
Your father called. He wants you to call him back.
Beneath the words was a phone number I didn’t recognize.
I crumpled it up and threw it on the floorboards of the truck.
Fuck that. Calling him was the last thing on earth I’d ever do.
Chapter Twelve
Ivy
Ah the tangled webs we weave.
I have no idea who said it. I have no idea where I heard it. But it was the only thing in my head as I dragged my ass out of bed.
Hey, I might be a zombie, but I could still rhyme.
(Head + bed… Never mind.)
The first week back from spring break had been long and arduous. I swear the professors knew we were all still partially hung-over and depressed the time off was over, so they wanted to further our torment by assigning even more work than normal.
School really wasn’t my thing.
Socializing, checking out what everyone was wearing that day, and walking around campus… I liked all that. But I
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