She gives me a stern look. “I’ll let that slide. Mason and I have been friends forever and over the past few years we have become closer.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal at all.
“Apparently,” I mumble before picking off a piece of the donut and shoving it into my mouth.
Rolling her eyes, she continues, “We have similar interests and enjoy spending time together. Our friendship developing into something more felt very organic.”
“I see.” No, I totally don’t see. This news is bigger than Logan suddenly moving home. Putting another piece of donut in my mouth, I chew before asking, “How long? How long has this been going on?”
“This? As in how long have we been sleeping together?” She reaches over and pats my back when I start coughing as I choke on my donut. Shaking her head, she whispers, “So dramatic.”
With watery eyes, I sit up straight and say, “Yes, Mother, how long have you been sleeping with your good friend Mason?”
Ignoring me, she shrugs one shoulder. “A few months.”
Jumping from my chair, “A few months?!” I wail. “You have been in a serious relationship for a few months. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was going to tell you soon, I promise. I just needed time to adjust to the newness of it. I haven’t been with anyone in a long time and neither has Mason.” Standing, she takes the pastry box back to the counter. She turns back to me, takes my hands in hers and meets my eyes before saying, “As you know, much of my life has been very public. Some things that should have remained private, including my mental health, were often a topic of local gossip. This relationship is just for us, and we enjoy the discreetness of it.”
I’m absolutely dumbfounded as I let go of her hands and begin to pace. When I don’t say anything, she continues, “At first, I didn’t want people to judge him for getting tangled up with a crazy person.” She raises her palm when I come to a sudden stop with my eyes wide and mouth open. “Let me finish. I no longer feel that way, but you know sometimes my brain lies to me. Mason’s job is very public, and he appreciates his privacy as well. It’s not a secret; we just aren’t advertising it. Normally, he parks in the garage, but he didn’t get here until late last night. I’m sure people will be talking about it before the end of the day.”
“Now that I think about it, I did hear a rumor that Mason had a secret girlfriend – I just never dreamed it was my own mother.”
She just laughs. What the fuck, Mom? I’ve had enough surprises in the past few weeks to last me a lifetime.
Mom and I continue to visit while Mason gets ready to go to brunch. Seriously – they are going to brunch. She tells me about some of the dates that Mason has taken her on and about how much she enjoys spending time with him. I should be mad that she’s kept this from me, but it’s hard to be when she is so obviously happy.
By the time I had to leave, I realized that I’d gotten so caught up in her joy, I’d forgotten why I went to see her in the first place.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hi.
I’ve been thinking about you all day.
I know it's getting late, but can you come over?
Logan
Is this the part where I try to play it cool and say I’m busy?
Because let's be honest, I'm not that cool.
I can be there in 15 minutes <3
Okay.
Drive safe.
Tossing my phone on the couch cushion beside me, I bury my face in my hands.What am I doing?Ever since I got home from Mom’s house, I have been debating if I should ask Logan to come over. I tried distracting myself with chores, sketching and reading, but he is always on my mind. Even Penelope can’t distract me from me, and she’s great. I know that if I put offtalking to him, I’ll just stew about our kiss for the rest of the night. Inviting him over seemed like a good idea, but now I’m beginning to panic as I second guess myself.
After slipping on an oversized fleece hoodie, I wander down to the beach and start a bonfire. It’s getting dark earlier, and the sun is already beginning to set in a kaleidoscope of colour across the water.
Over the sound of waves lapping on the shore I hear the rumble of Logan’s truck pull up the driveway and the door open and shut. I mentally give myself a pep talk.It’s fine, everything is fine. Just be chill, it was just one silly little kiss.I’m not sure when I started regularly lying to myself but it’s becoming problematic.
Moments later, Logan walks around the cabin with Morgan by his side. He’s also dressed for warmth and comfort in a hoodie and grey sweats, and a ball cap on backwards. While I’m sure I must look like a frumpy mess in my comfy clothes, he looks like he’s modeling his outfit for an upcoming photoshoot. I’m not mad about it, he looks hot.
“Hey. I hope it’s okay that I brought Morgan. I don’t like leaving him at home alone if I don’t have to. He has a little bit of separation anxiety.” He grins at me while reaching down and petting Morgan’s shiny coat.
“Of course, he’s always welcome, you don’t even have to ask.” I’ve always been a cat person, but this dog may sway me a little. Standing side by side, we watch Morgan wander around the shore, up onto the deck and right through the open back door.
