"Maybe," she says with a shrug. "How about this one?" She holds up a black cocktail dress.
"Where is he taking you?"
"To a private club downtown. It's very exclusive." She smiles. "The girls about died when I told them I'm going there."
"What girls?"
"Martina and Reese. They've been waiting for years to get an invite to this club." She holds up the dress as she looks in the mirror. “They’re taking me to lunch next week so I can tell them all about it.” She turns back to me. "Honey, I really need to get ready. I'm meeting Canton in an hour."
I leave her room and go back to mine, trying to remember this Canton guy. If he's the guy I'm thinking of, he doesn't seem like my mom's type. He's short and bald, with a stocky build. My dad is tall and thin with a thick head of hair. Canton's wife was a tall blonde like my mom so I can see why he'd be attracted to her but I don't know why she'd be attracted to him, other than for his money.
My mom says she's changed since moving here, but it's only somewhat true. She's definitely more independent now but she misses having money. Having money to pay the bills isn't enough. She wants the kind of money that buys a life of luxury, which my dad gave her but he limited her spending. It sounds like this new guy wouldn't have to. He's rich enough to let her buy whatever she wants. But would she be happy with him? Or does that not matter to her?
I don't want to choose money over happiness. I want a guy who makes me happy. I want to be in love. I want forever with him.
If only the guy I love wanted that too.
Chapter Eleven
Dean
"Looking good, man," Kendrick says as he leaves.
"Liar," I say. "Thanks for coming by."
The other guys left a few minutes ago, except for Josh and Danny.
The whole team showed up after practice and stayed for over an hour. I didn't think they'd stay that long but I'm glad they did. It distracted me from thinking about Brook.
We had a fight and she left. With tears in her eyes. I hurt her. Again. I fucking hate myself for that but what I told her needed to be said, even if it hurts.
I don't want her to leave and go back to her old school but it's selfish for me to make her stay. I'm not what's best for her. I know she doesn't believe that, but she should. She hasn't known me that long. She doesn't know all the shit about my dad and how I'm just like him. She doesn't understand that a life with me means always struggling to pay the bills, always living in a shitty house, having a shitty car.
Brook deserves better than that. She says she doesn't want her old life anymore but if she spent a few days in mine, she'd realize it's not what she wants. That's why I told her all that today. I don't want her making decisions based on me, or on a future with me. Until a few weeks ago, I promised myself I'd never have a girlfriend and I'm starting to think I should go back to that. I love Brook like I've never loved anyone, but loving someone that way sometimes means having to let them go. I want her to be happy, and she won't be happy with someone like me.
"We'll be back this weekend," Josh says, walking to the door. "Hurry up and get better. We miss your grumpy old ass giving us shit."
"Grumpy? What the fuck?"
He laughs.
"And I'm not old!"
He's in the hall. He didn't hear me.
"You're almost nineteen," Danny says. "You're old." He sits on the chair next to my bed.
"You're sticking around?"
"Yeah. Why? You want me to leave?"
"No, I just didn't know if you had to go."
"I'm good." He pulls the other chair over and puts his feet up on it. "I checked the news a few minutes ago. Nothing new."
"Yeah, I know. The cop said he'd call me if they got any leads, but so far, they have nothing."
"They'll find him."
