“Of course, I knew! He didn’t talk to me about it, you know, because I’m his mom. But I could just tell because every time I would ask where you were and why you weren’t coming over,he would go full grump on me, and just groan. Such a drama queen.”
My shoulders shook as I tried my absolute best to contain my laughter, and I didn’t even have to reply before she continued.
“And don’t get me started on Andy coming over all the time without you. It got me so worried that they’re going to start dating again. I even sat him down and reminded him she was unfaithful to him, and people like that? They never change. You know, I caught her going through your stuff last year during one of your study nights?—”
“Really, mom? I thought I was hearing one of my schoolmates gossip,” Nero cut her off, and I was full-on laughing now because Mrs. Combs has always been such an energetic woman.
She has so many things to say that my dad would sometimes side-eye me to save him whenever they have one of those adult conversations during our visits to each other’s family.
I thought for sure that she and Andy would bond through some chats, even imagining her treating Andy like the daughter she clearly wants to have, but I guess she smelled something fishy early on.
Like they say, mothers know best.
Mrs. Combs didn’t waste a second trying to mask that Nero caught her talking badly about his ex as she immediately came up to him and squished his cheeks together with her palms. “Oh, my boy, I’m so proud of you! You’re really heaven-sent for this football team, you know that?”
He looked like a giant baby at that time, getting coddled by his mom, that I was just wearing a huge grin on my face which he saw as his eyes traveled to me.
“It was a team effort, mom.” He was grumbling, gently pulling his mom’s hands away from his cheeks, as he went to meand teasingly ruffled my hair to further hide my eyes behind the mess, as if to avoid my teasing stare.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I raised a humble man.”
Mrs. Combs went to her car that was parked beside Nero’s truck, opening her door as she said, “You can go and join your team to celebrate. Cosette can ride with me.”
I nodded, already moving my feet to round the front of the car, but a hand wrapped around my wrist before I could take two steps, and I looked back to see Nero’s grip on me. Gentle yet firm.
“No,” he said. “It’s okay. I want to go home. Cosette can ride with me.”
I just about yanked my hand away from his hold, but alas, I managed to do it subtly, not liking the way the touch felt like I was hovering my skin over an open flame.
Looking at Mrs. Combs, I could tell she was enjoying the way I probably looked dumbfounded at what her son said, replicating a scene that she must have seen in the hundreds of romance movies and dramas she’s watched.
Contrary to what I thought earlier, maybe mothers don’t always know everything, because she couldn’t be more wrong.
Nero has proved it to me multiple times, over and over again, that he only saw me as a friend and nothing more.
8
SIEGE
“This is yours?”
I heard Nero’s disbelieving tone from the backseat while Dex was pulling up the circular driveway on our property in Beaufort.
I’m sure there wasn’t really doubt in his question since he watched Dex turn off the alarm that sounded when our facial scanning feature at the gate read Nero’s unregistered face through the windshield.
Because it was the weekend, Cosette and I thought it would be a nice idea to spend it here, like a small vacation, seeing as the little vixen was eager to make use of the game room. I was taking her overnight bag from her to load it into the backseat when Nero crossed the street and said hi to her, coming home from a run.
The sly vixen, already so comfortable and taking the ‘mi casa es su casa’ saying a little too seriously, suddenly asked him if he wanted to come with so we can play board games in pairs.
Sheinvitedhim, and when he agreed, running back to his place to pack his own bag, it was only then that she asked me and Dex if it was okay.
Seeing her act in charge was hot as hell, and I didn’t have a problem with Nero anymore, so I obliged, but Dex was far from pleased when he found out Nero was coming with us. One look from Cosette though, and he had no choice but to agree. I still don’t know what kind of look she gave him, but I’m counting on a cute one, or a threatening one. Both work well on us, that’s for sure.
“Yeah. Well, technically, it’s still my dad’s, but yeah,” I said, a hint of pride in my voice. He doesn’t need to know that I’m actually letting go of my right to have my name in the deed for when my dad’s gone by invoking Exodus.
“Pretty cool, huh? Wait til you see the game room,” Cosette told Nero, pulling a grumpy Dex behind her with their fingers intertwined.
Poor guy was hoping for a lot of sex this weekend, and he must think having Nero here is a thorn in his plans.
