“I was out with Nate.”
“Nate? At that time?” She puts the knife down and turns to give me her full attention.
Don’t blush. Don’t let her see what you’re hiding.
I shrug. “I thought you wanted me to hang out with him?”
“I do, it’s just … I didn’t think Nate would-”
“What? Good boy Nate doesn’t stay out past curfew?”
She shakes her head. “What were you two even doing out that late?”
I turn my back so she can’t see my face heat up.
“Talking.”
She pauses. “Talking? About what?”
“Just stuff.” I shrug.
When I turn back around, she’s still standing there, staring at me. “It’s good I guess, you having someone to talk to.” She shakes her head and picks the knife up again. “Nate won’t get in trouble for staying out late?”
“He’s a big boy, Ma.”
My cock twitches at the memory of how much of a big boy Nate is.
“He can take care of himself.”
“I know that.”
“Are you worried I’m gonna be a bad influence on him?” The bitterness that spills out is a surprise. I shouldn’t still feel this way now Nate’s told me it wasn’t him who threw me under the bus. He just did a stupid thing and panicked, it was his dickhead stepdad and his lawyer who screwed me over. I just wish my own ma wouldn’t have automatically assumed the worst of me.
She puts the knife down again and walks across thekitchen to put her hands on my face. “I’m glad you two are close again.”
Fuck, could I be any closer to blushing right now?
I squirm and she lets me go.
“You know Nate’s welcome to stay over here?”
“We’re not kids anymore, Ma. We don’t have sleepovers.”
The thought of having Nate in my bed again, this time knowing he wants to … let’s just say I don’t trust myself with him in my bed.
“I’m just saying, he’s welcome here any time.”
I wanna tell her we can’t just jump in a time machine and pretend the last five years never happened. That Nate didn’t go off and have a totally different life. That he still lives next door and comes in and out of our house like it’s his own. That Dad’s gonna walk in through that door. My chest feels tight. Ma looks at me and frowns.
“You okay?”
“Indigestion,” I lie.
“There’s some Tums in the cupboard, take some.”
“I’m fine, Ma, stop fussing.”
My phone buzzes while I’m sitting at the table with my ma and Stacie. Ma’s head shoots up straight away.
