She grimaces. “You wouldn’t be wrong. Apparently, your mom’s had enough of yourshenanigans.” She lowers her voice in a mockery of my mother’s. “And your attendance will be required at family dinner next week.”
I eye her. “That’s got nothing to do with brunch.”
“They’re both meals.” She rolls her eyes. “You can’t keep avoiding her. Everyone knows you’re living with me, and I can’t keep playing buffer.” Kayla comes over and sits on the bed, nudging me playfully even as she tells me seriously, “I don’twantto keep playing buffer. I’m not Switzerland.”
I know she’s right, and I look away. I haven’t been fair to her, but my mother makes me feel weak—more than Bliss ever has. I found the courage to stand up to Bliss, but looking my mother in the eye—the person who is supposed to love me unconditionally—and fighting back?
Just the idea of it is enough to have me crumpling like wet paper.
“There’s something else,” Kayla says. I look at her,finding her brows drawn together. “They said Barrett isn’t invited.”
I snort. “I’d like to see them try to stop him.”
She gives me a small smile. “Attagirl. Why don’t you come out with me tonight? My friends won’t mind.”
I stifle a wince because her friends are not my idea of a good time. Relieved I have a legitimate reason to say no, I shake my head. “Barrett’s coming over to watch a movie.”
She blinks rapidly. “Here? Tonight? You never said.” Kayla’s hand flutters awkwardly up to her head and then back down. “I, uh…You know what? I should go.” She jumps up from the bed, pulling the hem of her dress down.
“Something happening between you and Barrett?” I ask curiously, as much as I don’t want to know.
“Nope,” she says, heading for her closet and fishing out a pair of strappy black heels. She slides them on and then grabs a jacket and clutch, checking herself out in the mirror one last time. “What do you think?”
“Perfect.”
Kayla looks at me, her smile slipping an inch. “I want you to know I have your back, Charlie.” She pauses, eyes dipping from mine. “With your mom, I mean. I don’t think the way Aunt Aggie talks to you is okay.”
My face feels tight as I shake her words off. “I know,” I say quietly, standing up and heading out of her room. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Okay,” Kayla says uncertainly as she follows me. After a moment, she brushes it off. “Don’t let Barrett touch my stuff, okay? He’s definitely got boy cooties.” And then she’s gone, leaving a cloud of strong perfume behind her.
I sit down on the couch with a sigh, pulling out my phone. It only takes me a second to pull up the emptymessage thread, Dillon’s name and new number sitting at the top.
It’s been a week since I ran into him, and I’ve pulled his contact up more often than I should. The time in the corner tells me I’ve got an hour until Barrett turns up, and with my mother’s compulsoryinvitationhanging over my head, I decide to dive into the distraction.
Charlie:
Hey.
Chapter 20
Dillon
I’ve changed my shirt about five fucking times. The rejected ones are lying in a pile on the floor while I stand at the mirror like an asshole.
My hands are sweating, and my stomach churns uncomfortably. It reminds me of when I had to stand in front of the entire school and give a speech on the changing environment. It feels like I’m facing down the most important night of my life.
Not wrong.
I didn’t expect much when I gave Charlie my number because I refused to let myself hope that she might reach out. When she messaged two days ago, asking to meet for a drink andtalk…
Ominous as fuck, but I will take whatever I can get.
I’ve spent the last six months in some sort of purgatory. I’ve been working through all the bullshit in my head, talking out the things I grew up with, and confronting why I would lash out at the one person I least wanted to hurt.
And Sandra also forced me to look at my relationship with Bliss, and understand why I would cling to it the way I did.
I said it was because the friendship with her was a habit.
