She went to take her daughter, whispering, ‘Hi, baby,’ and pressing a kiss to Lily’s forehead.
Watching that… watching her, I almost forgot how to breathe. Seeing them made something warm and stupid fill my chest.
My mom sent me a look. The kind of look that meant trouble.
Uh oh.
“Derek,” she said sweetly. Too sweetly. I should run away. “Walk with me.”
“What? Why?” I froze. “Did Lily do something?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Lily is a sweetheart.”
“Then… what is it?” I asked cautiously, looking around the hallway and thinking about several ways I could run away from my mother.
“Why haven’t you proposed to her yet?” She asked, crossing her arms.
I choked. Literally choked on air. “What—Mom, what are you talking ab—ow!”
Her palm smacked the back of my head before I finished the sentence.
“Don’t play dumb,” she snapped. “You know exactly what I mean.”
“Mom,” I said, rubbing my skull, glaring and pouting. “Can you not commit assault at a wedding?”
She smacked me again. Harder.
“Ow! What was that for?!”
“For lying,” she said. “To me, to yourself, and to Paige.”
I sighed. I had to tell her, and if I didn’t, she would commit a homicide.
“I can’t, Mom. Us… t-this thing between us is fake. We’re doing it so her divorce goes smoothly, and she has somewhere to—ow! Mother!”
She hit me with enough force to make me stumble. What the hell does she eat?
“If this were fake,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Then why does she look happier with you than she ever did with Jack?”
I swallowed hard. I opened my mouth, but she cut me off.
“And don’t you dare lie to me,” she said softly. “Not about your feelings. Not to your mother.”
My throat tightened.
“I can’t tell her.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because…”
Because once I said it, it would be real. Because she would look at me differently. Because she might walk away.
My mom stared at me as if I was the biggest idiot on earth.
“Derek,” she said, her voice softer now, with her hands gripping my shoulders. “You’ve been in love with that girl since you were a child. Everyone knows it. I’m shocked the birds outside aren’t gossiping about it.”
I froze.
