“Macey, hi.” My mother sounded breathless and flustered, which wasn’t new for her. She always tended to sound like she’d just been walking through the door and rushing to answer the phone.
“Is this a bad time?” I asked, and my mom scoffed.
“It’s as good of a time as any,” she said. “You don’t call hardly enough.”
“I do call, Mom,” I said patiently, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. “You’re just never around when I do, and dad doesn’t answer the phone for anybody.”
“Well, I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I’ve been a little busy.”
“That’s great, Mom.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping the tugging migraine behind my eyes would vanish before it hit full force. “I like to hear that you’re keeping busy. How have things been?”
“They’ve been about the same since you packed up and moved across the country, sweetheart.”
“Really, Mom?”
“What?”
“If you ever wonder why I don’t call more, this is a really good indicator for you.”
“I’m just being honest, Macey.”
“So am I.”
A tense silence settled between us, and after a moment, I was almost sure she’d hung up on me. But then I heard her sigh like she had better things to do than talk to me.
“How is Dad?” I asked, hoping to move the conversation in a positive direction. But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I could tell that it was the wrong thing to bring up.
“Your father has been laid off,” Mom said quietly. “He hasn’t worked for a couple of months now.”
“I spoke to you a few weeks ago,” I cried. “How come you didn’t tell me this?”
“What would you have done, Macey?” Mom asked, sounding like talking to me on the phone was the last thing she wanted to be doing. “Would you have come home? Got a job to help support this family? You wouldn’t have left Colorado, and I think we both know that.”
“I’m twenty-one, Mom.” By now, my patience was wearing thin, just like it always seemed to do when I spoke to my mother. It didn’t matter what we talked about or what we avoided. Since my twin sister died, we no longer could we have a conversation like civilized human beings. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the truth; my mother and I had never been as close as my mother and Melanie had been. Never.
“I should go,” Mom said. “I still have errands to run.”
“Give Dad my love,” I said softly. “I’m sorry you’re struggling. I love both of you.”
“I will tell him,” Mom said, completely ignoring the second half of my statement. “Goodbye, Macey.”
After the line went dead, I set the phone down on my night table near the bed and clicked off the bedroom light before sliding under the covers for sleep. I had just barely closed my eyes when my phone buzzed, and I reached over to check it. It was a text from Jayce, and it was the best thing I’d seen all day long.
See u 2morrow, friend :)
Grinning like an idiot, I typed back a quick reply, forgetting about the tears that had threatened to spill only moments ago on the phone.
We’ll see.
Still smiling to myself, I turned my phone on silent and set it aside, trying to ignore that small flutter in my stomach that made me wish I was with Jayce right now, tucked into his arms, my body pressed against his as he ran his fingers up and down every inch of me, teasing me, taunting me,wantingme. I slipped my fingers down between the seam of my panties and touched myself, wet for him, full of such desire and desperation that I pleasured myself to the thought of Jayce, eventually falling into a restful sleep where I dreamed of him.
