I risk a glance at her. I find shock and disbelief. “Casen, wow. I don’t know what to say. Was she coming after you, and Reece, and oh my God Ian?”
“No, I know what you’re thinking. She had nothing to do with Ian’s death, but as far as him or Reece…I don’t know what she was planning for them.”
“What about you, Casen? Is there something you have been doing she was going to ruin your life over?”
I half-heartedly chuckle. “Yeah, I was falling in love with her. Her initial plan was to make me fall for her and then dump me on my ass, but she claims she fell for me too and she didn’t want to continue her path of destruction.”
“She came clean?” she asks.
I bite the inside of my cheek. “No, I was having Ian investigate ‘Annie’ and he found out ‘Annie’ was Embyr, and I was dating her at the time. I got the news from an envelope Ian sent to me just before he died. I went to her house and confronted her. She said she was going to tell me, but I just found out first.”
She squeezes my hand. “That had to be heartbreaking. I’m so sorry.”
The server interrupts with our pizza and we unclasp our hands. After placing a piece of pizza on each of our plates and taking a bite, I continue.
“It was but if I’m being honest, being without her right now hurts way more than when I found out what she had been doing. How can I blame her for what she was doing? Yes, she’s old enough to know better but I think, no, I know she never expected the outcome of all of this.”
We eat in silence for a few moments before she speaks up. “Can I ask some questions now?”
I nod.
“Did she forgive you?”
“I assume so. She told me she loves me and I know she does. Or did. Does? I don’t know, Ma. I’m really fucked up over this.”
“How do you think she feels?” She questions, taking another bite. “One minute she hates you for not interjecting when they were treating her like shit and then her heart betrays her by falling in love with you.”
“We haven’t talked about any of it. It was months ago and I haven’t let her speak one word about it.”
“Here is my take, Casen. I may just be an old woman but I’ve seen a lot in my more than half a century. You and your friends messed her up. She didn’t make Wesley screw a student, or Evan cheat or even turn Thad gay. I mean for the love of God I thought everyone knew that already. But you all did make her life a living hell and put her naked body out there for the entire world to see. If she can forgive you for that, I think you can forgive the woman you love for falling in love with you. Can you see yourself without her?”
I think about that for a moment and a lot over the past couple weeks. “I can see myself without her, but it’s a lonely existence. I want to forgive her.”
“How’s the sex?”
“Mom!”
“I’m not stupid, Casen. I know you’ve had sex. I’ve bought you condoms, in fact, bulk size before you left for college. How is the sex?” She enunciates every word of the last question.
I look around, noting the couple next to us pretending not to listen. My mom and I are very open, for the most part, but this may be crossing a line. “Mom, stop.”
“All I’m going to say is if you don’t see a future without her in it, if she knows the worst you have ever done and forgives you for it, and the sex is good, then you better get that ass moving because I want me some grandbabies!”
Someone stops next to our table. “Nancy?”
We both look up and find a woman who looks to be about my mom’s age holding two babies in her hands, a boy and a girl. “Eden!” My mom stands up, securing the little guy in her hands.
A younger looking version of Eden comes up next to her with another cute little girl holding her hand.
“Nancy, this is my daughter Erin, and these are three of my nine grandbabies. Savannah, Joshua, and Lillian.”
My mom turns to me, a devious look in her eyes. “Nine grandbabies, huh? Well, I have none but this is my son Casen. Casen, this is Eden Decker from my bunco group.”
I shake my head at her jab and stand up, shaking Eden and Erin’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Casen Parker.”
“Erin Prescott.”
“You have beautiful children.” I compliment.
