BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(54)

She laughs out loud and covers her mouth to stifle it, but there’s no holding back her amusement. “I’m sorry,” she says between snorts, “I shouldn’t laugh. That whole time was pretty outrageous. Quinn is loyal to a fault; it’s one of the reasons I love her. And neither of us had ever heard of you until you showed up, so she didn’t know your story either.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Doesn’t make it any less nerve-wracking to hang out with her though,” I say.

“I’ll take care of it all. So be ready, because I’m picking you up tomorrow morning.”



JACE -

With a nervousness I’m not accustomed to, I sit on the end of my bed and dial my mom’s phone number. Calling her doesn’t make me nervous, since we usually talk a couple times a week at the very least. It’s what I need to tell her that makes me uneasy.

After four rings I begin to wonder if she’s home, but then I hear her familiar voice, which always makes me a little homesick.

“Hello, my favorite son,” she says with her characteristic greeting, and I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Mom, it doesn’t count if you say that to both of us.”

“Damn, you caught me,” she jokes. “But seeing as how I haven’t heard from your brother since I left California a few weeks ago, you certainly are my favorite.”

“Gee, thanks Mom. I win on account of having no life.”

“Is that why you’re calling me on a Saturday evening?”

“No… there’s actually a beach party tonight everyone’s going to,” I begin. I know she’s staying quiet so I can tell her what I need to on my own. She’s always had the patience of a saint. “Mom, I wanted to talk to you about Pre-med…”

“What about it, sweetie?”

“I dropped it.”

Without the sound of any surprise in her voice, she asks, “And what are your plans now?”

In one long breath, I say, “I’ve been double-majoring. Pre-med and Business. But I don’t want to be a doctor, Mom. I thought it sounded cool a long time ago, and Dad acted like it was the greatest thing ever. I tried to like it, I swear, but now it’s my senior year and I’m so tired of doing both. Uncle Logan has been talking to me since last year, trying to convince me to come and take over when he’s ready to retire.”

“Go on…” she says.

Damn, she’s more disappointed than I thought she would be. I know they are all excited to have this awesome doctor in the family, but do they not want me to do what I want to do? Especially something like taking over my dad’s business? Well, at least Uncle Logan thinks it’s a respectable idea.

“I want to do what Dad did. I want to join The Riley Group and keep it in the family. I know you’re disappointed, but… I know it’s what I need to do,” I finish.

“All I have to say about this matter is…thank God!” she exclaims. “I’m so relieved you finally made this decision.”

“What?” I reply, shocked.

“Jace, I never thought you wanted to be a doctor. I was surprised when you applied for the Pre-med program. Of course, I wasn’t surprised when you got in, but I always thought you were more interested in your Dad’s company than anything else. I remember you asking a million questions a day about his job. Any chance you had to go hang out at his office, you took. I know you’ll do a fantastic job, and I couldn’t be happier for you. I’m sad that you felt like you needed to impress us though. What does Jaxon think about all of this?”