“Tell me about it.” I shake my head and glance down at my phone, deciding I need to answer her.
Sounds good. Call me when you get in.
Will do, darling. Maybe you should bring a friend. Bonus points if she’s a girl.
Is my mother a mind reader or what? I break out into a cold sweat just reading that latest text.
There’s no one special in my life.
I throw out a bogus answer in the hopes it distracts her.
That’s not what I heard.
Glancing up, I send a hard glare in Tristan’s direction until he can feel my eyes on him. He turns his head, his eyes going wide. “What’s up with you gossiping with your mama? And mine?” I ask.
Tristan at least has the decency to look embarrassed. “What are you talking about?”
“Somehow my mom knows there’s a girl in my life?” Hell, did Tristan set me up or what? The asshole.
Now he’s blushing. And I’ve never seen him blush. “I was bored. Mom called. I kept talking. One thing led to another and…”
“You told her about Jade,” I finish for him.
“Yeah. Sort of.” He nods. “Sorry. She worked it out of me.”
Great. It’s not that I don’t want to bring Jade to dinner with my parents. It’s more that I don’t want her to meet them. Yet. Shit, I don’t know what I want. It feels too soon. We don’t know each other that well. I mean yeah, I’m feeling pretty head over heels for her, which is fucking crazy but to bring my family into it makes everything seem so damn serious.
And I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.
* * *
Jade
* * *
“So I have some news!”
I wince at Mom’s too loud, too excited voice in my ear. I haven’t really talked to her in weeks, not since I started hanging out with Shep and I’d been feeling guilty. Mom and I are close. It’s been the two of us against the world for a long time and when I went away to college, she was a little sad. I knew she’d miss me but I didn’t want her miserable while I’m off becoming an actual adult.
But then she met Dex and they started going out pretty steadily. We haven’t met yet but she’s told me enough about him and I can sense he’s a pretty cool guy. He treats Mom well and that’s all I can ask for.
He also occupies all of her time. Not that I have any room to talk. The minute Shep walks into my life, he’s all I can think about. Forget anyone else. Forget my freaking mother, which is awful. So yeah, I haven’t called her lately, but she hasn’t really called me either so I guess we’re both totally preoccupied with the men in our lives?
The fact that I even have a man in my life—a man like stupid sexy Shep—is a thrill that I still can’t get over. I’m freaking pathetic, I swear.
“What’s your news?” I ask cheerily as I walk across campus. I just left class and I’m feeling good. School’s almost over. I’m confident about my finals. Oh, and it’s a perfect spring day. The sky is so blue it looks fake, and the cool breeze brings with it the salty tang of the ocean. I sort of hate that I have class until late tonight. It’s my last one of the semester and we turn in the final next week.
Hmm, I bet I could ditch if I wanted. I might. I might text Shep and see if he’ll pick me up early so we could go back to his place and get naked and…
“…so it sold! In less than forty-eight hours! Can you believe it? Let me tell you, it was about the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in a long time, I swear!” Mom yells.
Wait a minute. What did she just say?
“Back it up, Mom. I think I missed the first part,” I mumble, dread creeping over me, settling like a cold lump in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know if I’m going to like what she’s about to repeat. To say I’m quietly freaking out would be apt.
“I sold the house, sweetie! And I sold it for such a huge profit you would be shocked. Thanks to the remodel, we were able to ask for a much higher price and it turned into this crazy bidding war. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She laughs, sounding shocked and dazed and confused and so incredibly happy, I sort of want to bite my tongue so I don’t say anything at all to ruin her good mood.
But I can’t help myself. Because I’m sort of pissed. So here I go.
“Um, why didn’t you tell me you were selling the house?” I ask incredulously as I come to a full stop in the middle of the sidewalk. A guy walking right behind me runs into me, his backpack plowing into my arm with a heavy thud and I send him a dirty look when he glares at me from over his shoulder.
Yeah, yeah it was my fault but still.
“Well, I thought I did tell you,” she says tentatively and I glance around, spotting an empty bench nearby. I rush toward it, tossing my backpack on it before I sit. “I swore I did. Didn’t I mention it to you the last time we talked?”
That would be a hell no. I think I’d remember something as important as my mother selling the only home I’d ever known. “No, you didn’t.”
“I didn’t tell you that’s why I was having the remodel done? It wasn’t for my enjoyment, though I wish I would’ve done it sooner.” Her voice lowers. “You should see the kitchen, sweetheart. Beautiful appliances, granite countertops, and the new cabinets…it’s like kitchen heaven. It’s gorgeous.”
I sigh. “Mom, focus. You never told me this, I promise. I wish…I wish you would’ve consulted with me first before you put it up for sale.” Not that she needed my permission, but that was my home too, and now she sold it in less than forty-eight hours. Like it meant nothing to her.
“I swear I did, sweetie. Oh, I feel so terrible.” She makes a tsking noise and I know she’s fretting so of course, I feel terrible too. “Trust me, this was the best thing for me to do. With you out of the house, I realized I wanted something smaller. Dex helped me out with the remodel, got me the right financing so I took a little equity out of the house and now I have enough money that if I’m really lucky, I’ll be able to pay cash outright for the next one!”
The way she keeps talking, I can envision an exclamation point after every single sentence she says. It’s rather unnerving. I don’t want to squash her excitement but crap. She sold my house. Where’s all my stuff going to go? “I’m not necessarily out of the house, Mom. I planned on coming home this summer. And the next few summers after this one.”
“Yeah…” Her voice trails off and my stomach clenches, that cold lump of dread turning even colder. This doesn’t sound good. “About that.”
“What about it?” I clutch my phone tight, glancing around the campus. Everyone looks happy. Carefree. Like they’ve got no problems. I feel like my entire world is about to cave in on me, all because of a house that really shouldn’t matter but somehow, it does.
“Is there any sort of student housing you can look into over the summer? I know it’s so last minute—”
“It’s beyond last minute,” I interrupt, trying to contain my anger, but it’s right there, just bubbling beneath the surface. It’s almost May and she’s asking about summer student housing? Is she out of her mind?
“I know, I know.” She sighs. “I’ve been so caught up in everything and I only just realized you still planned on coming home when you have no home to come home to. I’m not sure what we can do about that.”
I’m stunned. It’s not like my mom to be so…flighty. I blame the new guy. If Shep can evaporate my brain cells with a sexy look and a long kiss, I can only imagine Mom is suffering from the same thing with her new man. “How long is your escrow, Mom?”
“Thirty days, but I’d planned on staying with Dex while I look for another house.” She pauses. “We could do that, I suppose. The two of us stay at Dex’s house together. He has a guest room. We can put the majority of your stuff in storage along with everything else. That sounds fun doesn’t it?”
No, it sounds freaking awful. No way do I want to stay at Dex’s house. I don’t even know this guy. “Let me look into other options,” I say, trying my best to keep my temper under
control but I gotta admit. I’m super pissed about this. And worried. Where will I live? How will I be able to afford it? What in the world am I going to do?
“Aw honey, don’t be mad! We’ll figure this out. We always do. I have some money so I can help.” She’s prattling on, telling me to think positive, that I can come home just like I planned but my decision has already been made.
I’m not going back there. How can I?
But how can I stay here?
Chapter 24
Jade
* * *
Stress makes me extremely bitchy.
This is not a new realization. I discovered this little fact back in middle school, when I had a huge science project due and the group I worked with was full of incompetent a-holes who didn’t care if they got a good grade or not. Being the obsessed with grades girl that I was—and still am, sort of—this made me insane. It pushed me to the point that I yelled and screamed at my stupid group, took over the entire project, completed it all on my own and turned it in. All while informing my teacher that I was the one who did everything and the rest of them did nothing.
I received an A on that project. Everyone else failed. They hated me. I didn’t care. They got what they deserved in my eyes. Yes, I know this makes me a bit of a stress monster but I’ve relaxed since then, thank goodness.
That was the first of many blowouts. I’ve contained them over the years. Learned how to control myself. I have a temper. People blame my red hair, which is so incredibly stupid but hey, maybe they’re right. I can get so flipping mad over stuff sometimes, it’s ridiculous. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve calmed down. It’s not worth getting so worked up, you know? All it does is stress me out.
But I’m so mad right now, I could scream, and I think the emotion is warranted. Though maybe mad isn’t the right word. More like I’m super irritated. At my mom and the situation she put me in. Oh, and worried. Like, mega worried.
What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? I spoke with Kelli earlier and she has no plans on staying here for the summer. She’s back to her hometown, where she’ll be working fulltime and hooking up with dudes she went to high school with—direct quote.
A little over two weeks left until we finally must move out of our dorm and I have nowhere to go. I’m screwed.
Absolutely, totally screwed.
Thanks Mom.
I skipped class. It’s the last one of the semester and I should really be there but come on. My mind is a little preoccupied. I asked my friend Nicole to take notes for me and I know she’ll keep me informed if there’s any changes to the final project that’s due next week. I’m halfway done with my project anyway.
Instead of listening to my professor drone on for two hours, I’m trolling Craigslist on my laptop, looking up roommate listings, nibbling on my lower lip so much I swear I’m going to gnaw a hole in it. Shep texted me earlier, pretty much demanding we get together tonight, but I don’t know. I’m all stressed out and worried and he doesn’t want to deal with my shit.
So I ignored his text. He thinks I’m in class anyway so it’s no biggie.
Sighing, I run my hand over the top of my head, frustration swimming in my veins. The roommate listings either sound too good to be true or creepy as hell. There are quite a few expensive ones too. I stopped by Light My Fire earlier and talked to Enid, asking if she could hire me on fulltime for the summer. She said there was a possibility but she couldn’t guarantee it, which means I need to go in search of another job in addition to Light My Fire.
With every bit of information I discover, my summer is going up in flames, pardon the pun.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Kelli asks as she enters our room.
I barely glance up from my laptop. “I skipped class.”
“But it’s your last one.”
“I know. I didn’t think I could concentrate, what with everything going on. So I’m searching for a roommate instead.” I refocus my attention on the laptop.
Kelli stops beside my bed to peek over my shoulder. “By trying to find one on Craigslist? Ew, Jade. You’ll probably end up with a psycho.”
“They’re not all bad on here.” I hope. “Besides, what else am I supposed to do?” I’m bristling. My shoulders are stiff and my tone is the slightest bit screechy. I wish this day would just end.
“I don’t know, go look on the community board? Ask friends? People in class? Spread the word that you’re looking for a temporary room for the summer? There’s gotta be a better way.” Kelli flops on top of her bed, lying on her back as she stares up at the ceiling. “I can ask around for you if you want.”
“I would really appreciate it.” I slam my laptop shut and drop it on the mattress beside me, then stretch out on my bed. “I’m freaking out, Kel.”
“I know. I’d be freaking out too.” She pauses. “Maybe you should come home with me. We can share my room. We’re already used to each other. We survived an entire school year together. It wouldn’t be such a hardship.”
I’m tempted to say yes. Kelli and I get along great. I met her parents when they came to visit once and they’re nice. But I don’t think I could impose myself on her family like that. I’d need to find a new job too. “I don’t know…”
“Think about it,” she says firmly. “I’ll talk to my mom tomorrow. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
What if she did mind? I don’t know how my mom would react if I asked to bring someone home for the summer. She’s a private person and she has her routine. A routine that’s probably totally changed since I left for college.
Not that I can bring anyone home. I don’t even have a home…
“You’ll figure this out,” Kelli says, her soft voice breaking into my thoughts. “Don’t freak out. You’re smart. Resourceful. Ooh, and you have connections.”
“What connections?” I frown up at the ceiling.
“Shep connections. That guy knows everyone. Have you told him what happened yet?”
I don’t want to dump my problems on him. He didn’t sign up for them and I refuse to be a burden. I can figure this out on my own. I have before and I will again. “I haven’t talked to him.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? I know he’ll help you. The dude is completely head over heels,” she says slyly. “I think he’d do just about anything for you.”
“He is not head over heels,” I mutter, ignoring the giddy pace of my heart. He likes me. I know he does. But would he really do anything for me? I’m not so sure.
“He so is. Have you seen the way he looks at you? Shepard Prescott doesn’t go out with a girl for a long stretch of time. He’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy. I don’t know how many times I’ve told you this.”
She tells me this all the time and fine. I know it’s the truth. It doesn’t mean he’s changing his ways just for me. “I don’t expect him to drop everything and help me during my time in need.”
“Isn’t that what a boyfriend is supposed to do?” Kelli asks incredulously. “Dane is so up in my business sometimes, I swear I need to tell him to back off.”
“Shep isn’t my boyfriend,” I insist. I don’t know what he is. That guy I’m banging constantly? The one I also like to hang out with? I have no idea what to call us, what to classify our relationship as. It’s confusing. He confuses me.
“Of course, he is.” Kelli makes an irritated sound. “You two are ridiculous. Tell him what happened with your mom and how you have nowhere to go. I’m sure he could come up with an easy solution and solve all of your problems.”
“I doubt it,” I say with a snort. No one works that quick, not even perfect Shep.
“Please, you know what he’s like. Don’t underestimate him. He’s crafty. And made of money. He can get whatever he wants.”
“So you’re saying he could pull a roommate and a place for me to live out of his magical hat?” I start to laugh. It sounds crazy. Possible but crazy. Shep is filthy rich. He could probably buy me a house without even bl
inking an eye. No way would I ever want him to do that but I bet he could.
I refuse to take a handout from him though. I’d feel like I owe him and no way do I want to deal with that. Especially if we don’t…last. Because this can’t last, whatever it is I’m experiencing with Shep. It’s fun, it’s a lot of hot sex and cute teasing and I have a good time with him, even when we’re not naked. I enjoy his company. He makes me laugh. He makes me think. He challenges me.
But he’s leaving the minute school is done so I figure once he’s gone we’re done too. So I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable.
“I’m sure he could help you figure out something. The guy knows practically everyone on campus. Plus he comes from one of the richest families on the planet. He could probably buy a mansion for you to live in like it was no big deal,” Kelli says.
My stomach cramps up at hearing her say he comes from a rich family. I always forget that. Yes, I spend time at his outrageously gorgeous house with the kitchen that makes me drool. Yes, we drive around in his mega expensive car that probably costs as much as my house Mom just sold. He doesn’t flaunt his riches and I’ve never met any of his family so it’s easy to forget that he’s a gazillionaire.
“I would never expect him to buy me anything,” I mumble.
“Of course. I’m just saying it would be so easy for him, you know? The guy has everything at his fingertips. So why not let him help you? I’m sure he’d love to.”
I say nothing. If I told her I didn’t want to owe Shep anything—and that’s the truth—she’d argue I was being silly. And maybe I am. Plus, it’s not his job to help me. We hook up. That’s it. There’s no real romance here involved at all. Yes, he says sweet, romantic things but I think that’s just because he wants to get inside my panties. And it works. I love all the things he says to me. The way he looks at me. How he touches me. It’s like I’m trying to convince myself there’s nothing between us, though it’s getting harder and harder to deny…
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