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“Don’t ‘so’ me. What does this mean?” I sit perfectly still, trying desperately not to panic. Panicking is not in my nature, but right now, I’m about to freak the hell out.
She doesn’t answer right away, which only makes my nerves hike higher.
“Ummmm…maybe call him and see what he thinks about it? Maybe he has some ideas about how to handle this, or maybe it will blow over quickly, and people will mind their own business.”
I laugh, sounding hysterical. “Right. Call him, like I have his number.”
“Well, you’re apparently dating him. You should have his number.”
I can tell that Nora thinks this is funny, and I feel like a hair tie trying to hold my curls in place and about ready to snap. I look back at the posts and see hundreds of comments, growing by the minute.
Suddenly, on fire, I kick the covers off of me. “Ok. Maybe you’re right. Maybe it won’t go any further, and it will fade into the background or be taken over by pictures of him with someone else, someone he’s actually dating.”
I remember Sean said he broke up with his girlfriend, and if he was being truthful about his priorities shifting, it didn’t sound like dating was on the top of that list.Shoot. Crap. Shit!
“You know, if my mother sees this and realizes who Sean really is–”
Nora yawns like I’m boring her now that she’s spilled the beans. “Maybe you should just really date him and drive her crazy while enjoying Sean in the process.”
“Have you lost your mind? I’m not dating Sean or enjoying him in any way.”
“That’s not what the pics look like.”
“Nora Renee,” I say, warning her.
She dials it back. “Didn’t you say he was nice last night, that he rescued you from Brice, the bottom-feeder-scum-sucker?” She asks the rhetorical question like in some universe dating or internet dating, Sean makes logical sense.
“I think you and I may need to part ways. You can collect your last check, and I’ll provide a good reference.”
She laughs. “Andie, this is all going to be ok. I really think you should see if you can figure out how to contact him. He’s probably not loving this, either, but might be used to this kind of thing and knows how to handle it.”
I flop back on my bed just as grunts erupt from the baby monitor. “I can’t deal with this. I’m ignoring it for now and praying that this just goes away.”
“There you go.” Her peppy voice makes me want to puke. “Denial solves everything.”
“It’s not a big deal, right? People wouldn’t actually think Sean Greyson would be dating or hanging out with me.”
“Why?” Now, Nora’s instantly irritated. “You’re smokin', smart, talented beyond belief, kind, and have a real way with words. He’d be a complete idiot not to date you.”
“I’m not dating anyone!” Ax starts crying, and I pull myself up. “I have to go. Let me know when all of this goes away. Until then, I’ll be hibernating, completely removed from the outside world.”
“Want me to come over?” Nora asks, and I sense amusement.
I haul my butt out of bed. “Nah. I’m fine. Surely this can’t get any worse, right?”
She laughs, and we disconnect.
I know if my mother finds out, this will definitely get worse, but at least I will be the only one affected by that lashing.
I drag myself across the hall to Axel’s room and lean over the crib to snatch him up. “Hey, monster. Did you sleep well?”
I kiss his cheeks and neck as we make our way to the kitchen. I turn the burner on to heat my kettle and make him a bottle. On mornings like today, snuggling him on the couch while the rest of the world stays far away is my favorite kind of morning.
I scroll on my phone for a few minutes, flipping through pictures of Sean and me before tossing it down, not wanting to see anymore.
Don’t people have anything better to do than look at completely innocent pictures of the two of us and then actually take the time to comment on them?
Thinking back to last night and seeing him walk in the doors, looking all…Sean. Tall, muscular, incredibly handsome, and then he had to go and be nice to me. He just jumped in there and shut my mother up, which in a different place and time, I’d find that pretty damn attractive.
