“No regrets.” I shrugged. “I am nobody’s sixty-eight, okay?” I had some standards.
“There’s that fire,” Mom said proudly.
Theo laughed. “Right after you rejected him, he walked into my room, fell on the bed and cried. Like actual tears. When we got back to school, he couldn’t go out with anyone for a month, he was so shook by the experience.”
“Oh no.” I waved my hands. “A whole month.” My lips pursed. “Just doing my part to keep the Brandons of the world humble.”
“The point is,” Dad said. “You don’t see yourself clearly. So we’re going to help you out.” His chin dropped, his eyes holding mine in place. “You’re beautiful. Undeniably. And you’re funny and smart and sassy.”
“You don’t put up with people’s crap,” Mom said. “Like Brandon trying to make you number sixty-eight. And you fight for those you love. Also...” She sighed wistfully. “I wish I had your butt.”
I gaped. “You’re envious of my butt?”
“So envious.”
“Words every girl wants to hear her mom say,” Theo said.
“You’ve still got a great butt,” Dad said to Mom.
“This isn’t about me.” Mom kissed his cheek. “But thank you, baby. And it’s not so great right now, but I’ll get back to it when my body recovers.”
“No rush,” Dad said. “I’ll keep slapping it anyway.”
I snorted. Theo groaned.
Mom turned her attention back to me. “You’re generous. You always root for the underdog. And you’re wicked smart.”
“I’m a college dropout,” I said in case she’d forgotten.
“You’ve been figuring yourself out,” Dad said. “But you can go back to school. Cash would support that.”
The room fell quiet, all three of them watching me expectantly.
“Maybe.” I chewed the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know.”
Mom wiggled her toes under the blanket. “Well, we’ll stand by you, whatever you choose. But please believe that you are equal to Cash.”
“In every way,” Dad added.
I nodded like their words had finally gotten through. But they didn’t have all the facts. No one did. If they had, it might change their minds.
And if Cash knew…
He wouldn’t keep looking at me like he was starving for me.
He wouldn’t want to look at me at all.
twenty-four
Cash
Ishould’ve been relieved that Charlie was gone for the evening. My inner battle could cease for a little while. I didn’t have to wander the house, hoping to run into her around every corner while dreading it at the same time. But it felt weird not having her there. Like the walls were holding their breath, waiting for her to return. Just like me.
It had been a long day in the recording studio which meant we were eating a very late dinner.
“I’m full.” Addie’s brown curls flounced against her shoulders as she flopped back in her chair. “Can I please be excused?”
Mom eyed the chicken breast on Addie’s plate, barely touched. “Sweetie, you need more protein in your body than that. Don’t you want to grow tall?”
