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“For what?” I asked, running my hand through his hair, petting him, soothing him.
“For talking to my dad. I know he’s a piece of shit and I’m sorry for whatever—”
“Shh.” I hugged him tighter. “It’s okay.”
He sighed as if the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. “Yeah.”
“How are you feeling now?”
He pulled away and cupped my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into him as he kissed me, his soft lips moving against mine. When he pulled away, his eyes were brighter. “I’ve never been better.”
I smiled and before I could kiss him again or have a hot make-out session on my bed, someone knocked on the door. By the sound of a wooden crane, I knew it was Nana.
I squeezed Damon’s arm and said, “Nana wants to talk to you. Good luck.”
He frowned and nodded, clearing his throat and straightening his tie.
When I left my room, Nana was standing there with a serious look on her face. I left them alone and prayed for Damon.
Mom and Dad were in the kitchen, so I sat on the island stool and asked, “Did Carol call you again?”
Their smiles slipped off. Mom said, “She asked for more money.”
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “She called me too.”
“Oh, honey.” Dad hugged me. “I’m sorry she’s bothering you.”
I gave them a forced smile. “It’s okay. She’s not ashamed to ask her daughter or her own sister for money. I don’t expect much from her.”
“I asked her to come here. Stay with us until she gets a job, but… you know how she is.” Mom sounded so sad.
I knew exactly how she was. She gave birth to me, and her boyfriend disappeared, so she left me with her sister and her husband. She never came back unless she was low on money, and one of her many shitty boyfriends wanted more cash to buy drugs and alcohol. Her calls were persistent ever since I started acting, thinking I was loaded. I was, in a way, really glad that my aunt adopted me legally and took care of me like I was her own daughter. I wished I could repay them in any way possible.
“I’ll talk to her,” I promised. “I have to tell her to get her act straight, or I’m cutting her off.”
“Summer.”
I shook my head. “No, Mom. Enough is enough. Either she wants to be in my life—our life—or stay in her abusive relationship. She has to choose.”
Our doorbell rang, and I walked away from the kitchen to open it.
“Summer!” Mia squealed as soon as she saw me, jumping for a hug. I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her. “I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, M.” I hugged her tighter before pulling away to see her gleaming green eyes. “Stop! Don’t cry, you goober. Come on in.”
“Summer,” James, Mia’s hot boyfriend, said, nodding at me and giving me a bottle of my favorite whiskey.
“I missed you too, James,” I said, giving him a hug.
Behind them, Emma, Cillian, Ivy and Aiden were walking in, so I kept the door open, hugging my best friends and inviting them in.
I was putting all the wine bottles and whiskey on the coffee table when Nana walked down the stairs. Damon followed her and it was hard to gauge Nana’s expression when she asked me to lean down to her height.
She whispered in my ear, “Marry him.” Before walking away.
My eyes widened as I looked at Damon, who was hugging Emma with a warm, sincere smile on his face.
When he walked up to me, I asked him, “What did you guys talk about?”
