I kiss her head and she sighs dreamily. Before we both fall asleep, I feel more contentment than I have since the last time I shared a bed with her.
There’sa loud knock on the door that startles Penny and I awake.
“Oh fuck,” she grumbles.
“Who the fuck is knocking on your door like that?” I ask, halfway off the bed and Penny grabs me by the shirt and opens her closet door.
“It’s my mom,” she says with wide eyes and shoving me in the closet.
“Penelope,” I hear my aunt Holly yelling from the kitchen.
“Fuck,” Penny hisses. “Stay in here and be quiet,” she whispers.
Holly’s footsteps get closer, and I hear Penny’s bedroom door open.
“Sweetheart, didn’t you hear me calling your name?” Holly asks.
I’m in pitch darkness, a hanger poking my back and I’m pretty sure I’m standing on top of a high heel, but I don’t move.
“Sorry, I was just getting out of bed.”
“We’re still on for lunch, right?” Holly asks, and I can hear her walking around the room. “Do you have that dress I got you from Valentino?”
The knob of the door turns and the closet partially opens, before slamming shut.
“Yeah, I’m sure I do.”
“You’re acting strange,” her mother replies. The closet partially opens again.
“Mom, why don’t you go make a cup of coffee and I’ll get dressed really quick and we can get going.”
There’s a long pause.
“Sweetheart, have you been crying? And what on earth are you wearing to bed?”
“I’ll tell you everything at lunch, I promise. Just let me get dressed, okay?”
“Alright,” Holly says, though I can tell she isn’t convinced, but the bedroom door clicks shut.
Penny opens the closet door with a frantic expression on her face.
“As soon as I leave with her, you can sneak out,” she whispers.
“You’re going to tell her?” I ask.
“About my birth mother,” Penny says, looking away.
“Right,” I say in a shitty tone, and louder than Penny likes. She pinches my arm and I let out an even louder noise.
“I swear to fucking God I will kill you right now, Lincoln Rowan Carlson.”
“Full name, huh? Say it a little louder so your mother can hear and we can get this all over with.”
She rubs her face. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
“Yeah, you sure do like to say that a lot, but keep ending up in my arms, Pen.” I know I’m being unfair, that I’m the one who sought her out and insisted I stay, that I wanted her in my arms. But being constantly pushed away at every turn is eating at me. If I knew she truly didn’t want this, maybe it would be easier, but I know she does and she’s just hurting us both.
She blinks at me and her face falls.
