“Because you don’t answer my calls,” his mother said, coming onto thescreen.
Because all you do is complain about Dad.Not that he could blame her. Unless you did something Doug’s way, you weren’t doing itright.
“You lookrespectable.”
“Thanks,” hedeadpanned.
“But I must say that your recent activities have cast a dark shadow on thefamily.”
By family, she meant the two of them. “I can’t imaginehow.”
“This whole makeover wasridiculous.”
“You just said I lookgood.”
“But did you have to lower yourself by being on that silly makeupchannel?”
“Lower myself?” Beckett kicked his legs free of the blanket and sat up. “Mom, Daisy’s channel is amazinglysuccessful.”
“It’s amateur atbest.”
“No, it’s lucrative and she’s accepted as a leader in her field. She’d done more for FreeWater than all our other fundraisers combined.” His parents contributed yearly to the foundation—bragging up their son’s commitment to bettering the world and taking a nice tax break too. He meant to dig at what they’d done—meant to let them know Daisy was the better person. He could tell because when he talked to his parents, he was often angry and always felt like his hands were dirty. When he was with Daisy, he was lighter, lifted up by her natural grace and the way she saw the best in people—evenhim.
Mom cleared her throat. “I called to warn you not to fall into her shallowworld.”
Beckett scoffed. He’d had enough. “You are such an elitist.” And he hated that he could see himself in his mom. Hadn’t he thought the same thing when he first arrived? Hadn’t he brushed off Daisy’s channel as makeup and hair and nosubstance?
“Us? Ha! We are real and we deal with real issues—not finding the best fit in a poloshirt.”
“Mom, Daisy’s not like that. I mean, she talks about those things, but that’s her job. It’s not who she is at her core. Did you even watch the whole episode where she talked about feeling confident in a job interview and asking for what you’re really worth out oflife?”
“Corporatedrivel.”
Beckett’s hands shook, he was so angry. This is why he never went home—why he left home in the firstplace.
“Beckett, dear, putting yourself on the internet cheapens you and what you really stand for. You’re meant for more than this little life Daisy leads. Don’t let her trap you in that town. Beauty alwaysfades.”
“Thanks for the advice, Mom. I gotta go attack the day.” He said a quick goodbye and hung up thephone.
In the silence, the walls began to close in on him. He needed to get out of the house, needed fresh air. He never did well being cooped up inside—always running and playing as a kid. Even as an adult, he preferred jungles to an urbanjungle.
In a flash, he was on the front porch, taking deep breaths of cool morning air. He could use a big dose of Daisy, but she was off at the conference again. Those things were crazy busy. She hadn’t gotten home, contented but tired, until midnight lastnight.
Tonight was the big dinner with her parents. He turned back to the house, determined to put things in order. He could also walk to the grocery store and pick up ingredients. He’d call Quinton and find out what theyneeded.
With every small task he completed, a bit of the wanderlust the conversation with his mom inspired fadedaway.
But in the back of his head, his mom’s words loitered like uninvited guests. “Don’t let her trapyou.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
EveryDayGlam!BeautyTip
Have you ever had someone tell you that you look tired? Usually, that means that your skin looks tired. It may sag around your eyes or your mouth may turn down. To refresh your skin and your face, gently massage your face with an ice cube. Yes, an ice cube! The cold temperatures will tighten your skin and close yourpores.
* * *
Daisy flitted around the kitchen,waiting for her mom to bring up her reservations over Beckett’s ability to be a decent boyfriend. She had pre-planned an answer for every argument she could imagine Mom mighthave.
