Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
“My mom has a borderline obsessive crush on your dad,” Easton said. “It’s disturbing considering she’s married. But who can blame her when her husband is the second coming of Nosferatu.”
I assume Xander broached the subject to his dad. And he’s not meeting the outcome he’d imagined.
I can hear Lo’s response to his son. “They might say no, bub. Even if I ask them for permission to let Easton stay here—it might not go how you want. That disappointment on top of your senior year and Fizzle and college admissions is a lot—”
“I’m not going to kill myself!!” Xander shouts at the top of his lungs. It punches me right in the gut, and I glance at his mom beside me.
Lily’s eyes widen, and she cages her breath.
“So you aren’t stressed?” Lo fires back.
“Of course, I’m fucking stressed!” Xander screams.
“Backtrack. Take a breath, you and me. Let’s talk about this at an indoor decibel…” Lo’s voice tapers off, and they must be walking farther away from the staircase.
Lily clears a ball in her throat. “We should go somewhere else.” She takes a quick peek back up the stairs, maybe thinking Xander might start shouting again. “I want to talk to you.”
Lily wants to talk to me. Her big readying breath makes more sense. I follow her into the living room, then to the kitchen. I’m trying to ready myself for this conversation too. But I keep thinking of all the reasons why she’d hate me.
I’m attached to the monstruous family that attacked her.
I hooked up with Luna in her kitchen.
She might even believe I’m too old for her daughter.
I’ve got strong defense mechanisms, and my guards are rising. Being vulnerable in front of Lily might be the path forward, but I can’t figure out how to lower those draw bridges right now.
I just follow.
Her eyes dart around the kitchen. “Uh…this way.” She leads me to the laundry room and switches on the light. As soon as I enter, she shakes her head. “No, let’s try somewhere else.”
On autopilot, she leaves the laundry room and goes for another door. It’s the garage. Knob is fixed, and as soon as she touches it, she drops her hand.
Have I desecrated that many places in the Hale House? My muscles strain.
Panic shoots in her eyes, one that looks a lot like anxiety. So I just say, “Backyard has a nice atmosphere.”
Her gaze swings to the window, and she frowns. “It looks cold.”
“I like the cold.”
Lily considers this, then shakes her head. “No, we can talk inside.” My chest untightens a bit. ‘Cause she’s letting me stay inside these sacred four walls. I didn’t think she’d want that, but maybe this is just to avoid frostbite.
Luna’s mom brings me to the home office.
“You can sit,” she says, gesturing to a rolling chair.
So I take a seat while she stays standing. She’s still cupping the coffee mug, and I try to sit straight. The more I look at Lily, the more tension builds.
I thought this divide would only exist with Lo, but since the Super Bowl, I’ve felt the closest to Luna’s dad—and now I feel the furthest away from her mom.
“Donnelly,” she says. “I…there’s…” She lets out a frustrated breath. “I’ve actually said this speech ten times. Printed it out too. Read it to Lo.”
I try to smile, but I hate that she’s been worrying over what to say to me. “How’d that go?” I ask.
“He thought I was too nice.”
“You can be mean, not that you need my permission to lay into me. But it’s deserved, so…” I wish my pulse would slow the fuck down.
“You think it’s deserved?” Her green eyes crawl over me. It’s making me feel exposed, and I lean back in the chair.
“I dunno, maybe. Yeah.” I nod. “I’m sorry—for not respecting you and Lo and your home like I should’ve. I’m sorry for…for what happened. To you and to Luna—”
“That’s not your fault.”
I can’t look at her now, and I hear the feet of a footstool scraping against the floorboards. When I glance back, she’s sitting across from me. Her coffee mug is on the desk.
“I’m happy for Luna,” Lily professes. “I’m happy my daughter found someone so completely and utterly compatible for her. Even before her amnesia, the way she talked about you was…magical.”
I’m feeling a but coming on.
But you’re disgusting, Donnelly.
But you’re toxic.
But you’re bad for her.
But I can’t have you in my house.
She sucks in a breath before continuing. “But I’m also so fucking mad,” she says through gritted teeth like she’s holding back angry tears. “I’m a sex addict, and for you to do a sexual act in my house in a public space. That’s not okay. Walking in on one of my kids having sex has been a nightmare and fear of mine since Maximoff hit puberty.”