Shattered Ties(56)

“Let me get dressed, and I’ll drive you back.” She stood and started throwing on her clothes.



After driving across town back to my house, she parked out front and waited for me to get out.

“Don’t forget that we are supposed to meet Andy tonight for his party.” I leaned over and kissed her.

“I won’t. I’ll meet you back here in a few hours.”

“Later, babe.” I got out and walked to my front door.

My mom was sitting in the chair closest to the door when I walked in. From the look on her face, I knew whatever she had to say wasn’t going to be pleasant. I didn’t want to deal with any bullshit after the night and morning I’d just shared with Emma. I wanted to be happy even if it was just for a little while.

“I got your texts. What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing. I have some good news actually. But first, where were you last night?”

“I stayed with Emma.”

She looked at me disapprovingly. “Are you two having sex?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters! You’re my son, and I don’t want you to get into a bad situation.”

“Bad situation?”

“You could get her pregnant, Jesse! How would you handle school, a job, a girlfriend, and a baby?”

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake! I’m not going to get her pregnant!”

“You don’t know that. I like Emma. I really do. But you are both so young, and you have your whole lives ahead of you.”

“I’m done with this. If I’m having sex, it’s my choice.”

My mother took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to fight. I just want you to be careful.”

“I always am. Now, let’s move on to what you wanted to talk to me about.”

“This isn’t over, just so you know.”

“Whatever. Spill.”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about Mark.”

“Let’s not, and pretend we did. I was in a good mood until I came home.

Let’s not ruin the rest of my day.”

“Stop acting like an immature brat. You’re just proving my point from earlier. You’re not ready for the responsibility of a baby. You have a lot of growing up to do, Jesse, even if you don’t realize it.”

“Fine. Point made. Tell me about Mark.”

She smiled that lovesick smile I’d seen on her face when he came over for dinner. This was going to get ugly fast.

“Mark has to leave sooner than expected.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why are you smiling if he’s leaving?”

“Well...Mark and I have been talking. He wants us to move to West Virginia with him.”

“That was sweet of him. I still don’t get why you’re smiling.” Sarcasm filled my voice.

“I want to go, Jesse.”

I froze, just completely froze. There was no way that I’d heard that right.

“Whoa, back up. I don’t think I heard you right.”

She had to be kidding. There was no way that she could uproot our entire lives over a man she’d only known a few weeks.

“You did. It just feels...right. I don’t know how to explain it.”

I felt the same way whenever I tried to figure out my feelings about Emma. I couldn’t explain them. They were just there. But my mom couldn’t possibly feel the same way about Mark. She just couldn’t. As immature as she made me out to be, we’d supported each other just fine over the past few years. I didn’t want things to change.

“You can’t just leave everything for this guy. You have a life here.”

“I have a crappy job as a waitress, and we live in a trailer in one of the worst parts of town. The only thing I have here that matters is you, and you’ll come with me.”

“I’m not leaving California.”

“You don’t have a choice, Jesse. You’re not eighteen yet, and I am still your guardian.”

“I’ll be eighteen soon. If you force me to go with you, I’ll just come back the minute I’m legally an adult. You can’t stop me,” I said stubbornly. There was no way that she was going to force me to move clear across the country.

“Please don’t act like this. Just consider it, honey. I think it would be good for both of us.”

“It would be good for both of us? No, it would be good for you. I’d be leaving everything behind—Andy, Ally, the shop, surfing, and Emma.”

My mom was quiet as she chewed on her lip. She knew I was right. I couldn’t understand how she would expect me to give up everything just because she wanted to follow this guy wherever he went. My mom was usually a lot more levelheaded than this.

“I know it will be hard, but you’ll make new friends.”

“No, I won’t. I’m not giving everything up. If you want to go, then go.

But don’t expect me to follow you.”

I felt like a dirty bastard as her eyes filled with tears, but I held my ground.

“I don’t know what you want me to do. I want to go with him, but I want you to come with me.”

“If you want to go, then go. But I won’t go with you.”

“Will you at least consider it?”