Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game(36)

Mom drew in a few deep breaths before she spoke. “Look, I know this baby and my marrying Greg is going to bring huge changes to your life—to our lives. But I hope you can see that they’re going to be good changes, sweetheart. Your happiness means more to me than anything in the world, and I hope you can believe that. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, ever.” A small smile curved at her lips. “I want you to be happy for me and happy for you.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Oh, I’m happy.”

“You are?” she asked tentatively, as if she feared I would go off on another one of my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde bipolar episodes.

“Sure, I am. Why wouldn’t I be glad that you found a guy who’d actually marry you when you got knocked up this time!”

The moment the words left my lips I regretted them. Mom appeared momentarily stung. But then in a quick, fluid motion that took both of us off guard, she slapped me.

Hard.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn’t hit me since I was ten years old when Jake and I ran away from home...for ten hours. When I’d finally shown back up, she’d been a weeping, snotty shell of the Mom I’d known. I figured she’d hold out her arms for me to rush into, but instead, she had first smacked my cheek. “How could you scare me like that?” she’d shrieked. Then she’d burst into tears and held me for two hours.

But I wasn’t waiting around for hugs this time. “Thanks a hell of a lot, Mom,” I mumbled. I spun on my heels, grabbed my keys off the counter, and stormed outside.

I stalked out to my Jeep. When I’m climbed inside, I slammed the door. “Fuck!” I cried, banging my fist on the steering wheel. As I cranked up the engine, I squealed out of the driveway intent on going to one place. And then it hit me so hard I slammed on the brakes, causing my neck to whip back.

There was no place to go.

Because Jake was dead.

That one thought caused my stomach to heave, and I scrambled to fling open the door. I puked the entire contents of my stomach and my tumbled emotions onto the pavement. Defeated, I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth and contemplated where the hell to go.

Since we were kids, we had always used each other as a refuge. When his dad was acting like a bastard, he’d hop on his bike and pedal over to my house, or when I thought Mom was being too strict, I’d escape to his. Then if we truly wanted to tell the world to f**k off, we’d hide out in emerald thicket of trees behind Grammy and Granddaddy’s house.

And a feeling came over me so strong that it took my breath away. I put the car in drive and sped along the road. Instead of turning onto Grammy’s street, I by-passed it and kept on going. I didn’t want a lecture at her house, and I didn’t want Alex or any of my other guy friends.

Instead, I pulled in Maddie’s driveway. Throwing the car into park, I felt a wave of both relief and anger wash over me. I was angry that I couldn’t go to Jake’s, but I was also relieved that there was someone as kind and considerate as Maddie to go and talk to.

Then my grief fueled anger changed over as thoughts of my previous conversation with my mother and her slap caused me to storm up the walkway, stomp up the front steps, and pound on the front door. Fury caused me to dig into my pocket for some money because I knew I wanted to be prepared for Maddie’s ‘Cuss Can’ antics.

When Maddie swung open the door, I thrust a five dollar bill in her face. “Look, I’m f**king pissed off right now, so put this in your damn cuss can!”

Her eyes widened. “No, that’s okay. You keep it.”

I shoved the money back in my pocket. “You’re not going to believe what my mom just told me!” I rushed past in her in the house. When I whirled around to find her still standing in the doorway, I threw up my hands. “What?”

A sheepish expression filled Maddie’s face. “It’s just that my parents aren’t home. They’ve taken Josh to the doctor…”

“Yeah so?”

She looked down at the foyer floor, toying the rug with her flip-flop. “I’m not allowed to be alone in the house with a boy when my parents aren’t home,” she said softly.

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. Jesus, Maddie had to always play by the rules. I stalked back across the living room and peered at her. Then I snorted exasperatedly. “You know we could just as easily fornicate on the front lawn if we were so inclined.”

Color flooded her cheeks. Great, now I was being an ass to her as well. “Dammit, that was a jerk thing to say. I’m really sorry, Maddie. I’m just really upset right now.”

“It’s okay,” she replied. Without any more pressing from her, I headed outside and onto the front porch. After she closed the door, she motioned for me to have a seat in one of the rockers. I flopped down in one with a grunt while she cautiously sat down next to me.

“So what happened with your mom?” she asked.

“She’s getting married.”

Maddie’s dark brows furrowed. “Oh, is her fiancée like mean or something?

“No, Greg’s a pretty decent guy,” I replied. I refrained from telling her the couch incident—I was afraid she might pass out.

“Then what is it?”

I shrugged. “I guess that I’m afraid of the changes that are to come. Like having some dude I barely know in the house or if we have to move…”