She nods. “And yet you’ve managed everything, all this time. I imagine you’re going to be just as resilient when it comes to the baby.”
“I’m broke,” I whisper.
“Well, even if he doesn’t want to be part of the baby’s life, he still has to give you money.” She meets my eyes. “But I think he’s going to surprise you. I can’t explain it, it’s just a feeling I have. He’s not going to abandon you. I feel it—here.” She touches her chest.
Exactly like he and I did that morning as he pulled away.
“Call him,” she whispers. “I don’t know if I’ll still be here after you do, but even when my brain betrays me, know that my heart never will.”
With that, she holds out her arms and I fall into them.
Having my mom even for a few minutes is better than none at all. And maybe, by the time I leave here, I’ll be ready to make the hardest phone call of my life.
Chapter 15
Tate
“Hey, Tate. It’s… Summer. I need to talk to you about something… will you please call me?”
I’ve listened to her message three times and still haven’t called her back.
There’s something in her voice that tells me she isn’t calling because she misses me. Something has happened, and I can only hope it’s not that her mom passed away. I don’t know how I can get away to attend the funeral, but I’ll do my best if she needs me there.
It’s just been a busy week.
When she called, I was doing a radio interview, and we had to go straight to the venue once it was over. There was a radio station contest that gave one winner and five of their friends tickets and backstage passes to come meet us, so I didn’t even see that she’d called until I got back to the hotel around one in the morning. We were in Chicago last night, which means it was close to two in the morning in New York and I didn’t want to call and wake her up.
It’s morning, though, and we’re on the bus heading to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
I know I have to call her back but for some reason I’m dreading it.
We’ll be in Green Bay in another hour, so I’ll wait until we get to the hotel where I can have some privacy. Otherwise, the boys will be all up in my business and they’re already giving me shit because so far, I haven’t so much as looked at another woman. There’s been some flirting and lots of hugs and pictures and autographs, but hooking up? My libido has become a big, fat zero and the band thinks it’s hilarious.
Fuckers.
Thank goodness Angus seems to have my back and is keeping his mouth shut about our conversation.
Ryleigh, Taryn, and Kirsten are with us now for the foreseeable future, so there’s always something going on, somewhere to be, plans that they’ve made for us. It’s nice, because it breaks the monotony, but it’s also a pain in the ass because sometimes I just want to chill. Alone.
By the time we get to the hotel, I’ve listened to her voice mail at least six times, as if I’m trying to decipher some cryptic message. Her voice doesn’t sound happy, and it’s freaking me out a little.
“Hey, you want to go to lunch?” Jonny asks me. “The couples are going to some museum.”
“No thanks.” I toss my backpack over my shoulder. “I have to make a few calls, but I’ll catch up to you.”
“Okay.”
I get up to my room and sink onto the bed. Finally, I reach for my phone and press the button to call Summer back. It rings three times. Four. Just when I think it’s going to voice mail, she picks up.
“Tate.”
“Hey, honey. How are you?”
“I’ve been better.” Oh, yeah, there is absolutely something wrong.
“Is your mom okay?” I ask automatically.
“Oh, um, yeah. She’s hanging in there.”
