Page 16 of Break Me Gently

I gripped her legs, unable to prevent the shit-eating grin on my face.

“No wonder you were such a massive slut in school,” she said, before she began to giggle.

“Why you little—”

“Amber? Poppet, are you okay?”

Fucking Luke.

“I’m fine. We were just horsing around,” she shouted, as I scrambled to find her sweatpants.

Also, horsing around?

I was not appreciated enough around here.

Chapter 9

Amber

When someone knocked on my bedroom door, I knew for sure it wasn’t Zach. That boy had zero boundaries.

“Come in,” I said, swivelling my chair around.

“Hey,” Mum said, poking her head in.

“Hi, Mum. Did you come to flash your ring again?” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

She cackled and jumped into my room, closing the door behind her.

“I never in a million years expected a proposal. I’ve only known him for a month,” she said, admiring her ring.

I didn’t know Luke well, but I could see that he loved my mum.

“Mum? What made you choose my dad as your first?”

She lowered her hand, looking surprised. We didn’t speak about my deadbeat dad often.

“Hormones,” she said, without hesitation. “We were young and horny.”

It wasn’t like my mum to speak so openly, but I liked that she was treating me as an adult.

“Are you considering something with Nolan?”

I thought of Nolan and almost winced. He was a good friend, but he didn’t do anything for me. Not after what Zach did. What I was complicit in.

My mum went off on her condom and contraception speech. I felt a little guilty for misleading her, knowing Zach would be coming to my room tonight. He would be my first, and I had no clue if he’d bring his own condom or use one from my bottom drawer. My mum had become my secret, steady supplier.

I broke the cycle when I asked her about prospective dates and venues for the wedding. Our town church was perfect. I could picture my mum walking down the aisle. She was only thirty-eight, and she’d make a beautiful bride.

She paused for a moment and reached out for my hand.

“You’re okay with me getting married, right?” she murmured, though she didn’t look confident about my response.

“Of course I am. I can get away with pretty much anything now that your attention won’t be on me.”

She chuckled and hugged me.

She thought I was joking.