23
"So how did it go?" Nathan asked, briefly taking his eyes off the road to look at me, concerned.
"Not well."
It had been days since the fight with my mom. I studiously avoided all contact with her, only going in and out through the basement apartment door, ignoring her knocks when she tried to talk to me, and refusing to respond to her text messages.
Maybe it was immature of me, but I didn't need to sit around and listen to another lecture about how I didn't know what was best for me. It was my life. I was going to live it the way I wanted.
"What did she say?" Nathan asked.
I didn't want to give him all the details, but I could at least let him know his "be truthful with them" idea had not gone exactly as planned.
"She pulled the mom card, told me what I can and cannot do and basically made me feel like a child again."
He reached over the gearstick and took my hand.
"Sorry," he said. "I guess, since I always tell my mom everything, I thought it would go better. I don't keep a lot of things from her."
"It sounds nice, to have a mom you can confide in like that."
"I'm sorry you don't."
"I can for some things," I told him. "But when it comes to anything related to my well-being, she goes a little nuts."
"I can understand that," he said.
"I think she's exceptionally touchy when it comes to guys," I said. "When my previous boyfriend dumped me, I think it hurt her as much as me. She'd let someone into our family, in a way. Trusted them to care for me. And he betrayed that. I think it gave her more of a complex than it did me. She's worried you're going to leave me when…"
I didn't want to finish the sentence. I didn't want Nathan to know I was worried about it, too.
How would he react, when he realized exactly how hard it was to be close to someone like me? Nathan hadn't had to deal with any doctor's appointments or surgeries yet. The closest he'd come was when I'd had that panic attack after zorbing. He'd been wonderful and caring back then, but it was such a minor event. Who knew what would happen if he had to watch me go through something worse?
"When what?" Nathan asked. "What is she worried about?"
"Oh, the usual," I said. "She's worried about a boy breaking my heart and hurting me. The same as any other parent, I suppose."
His brows drew down into a frown. "I'd never hurt you."
I rubbed my hand along his shoulder reassuringly.
"I know you wouldn't."
I'd been worried, before, but now that I was sure of Nathan's intentions, my fears had faded. I didn't know exactly what the future held in store for us, but I knew he was telling the truth. He'd never intentionally do anything to hurt me. He cared about me.
"Have you been avoiding your parents this whole time?" he asked. "You can always stay at my place if you need to."
"Thank you," I said without taking him up on the offer. It was sweet of him, but I didn't want to invade his space like that. Not so soon in our relationship.
My phone buzzed. I grabbed it from my purse. Another text.
Rebecca Miller, we need to talk.
"Guess I really am in trouble," I said. "She only uses my full name when she's pissed."
"Do you want me to introduce myself to her? Try to show her I'm—"
"Good god, no!" I interrupted. "No. It's best if you don't meet them. Not yet."
