Who’s Sober4lyfe?
Oh no. Britt was still dealing with her guilt over lying to Mom about Mondays and art projects. She’d even dragged Maude and X into her deception. But she didn’t want to share Hunter with anyone. Not yet. Their friendship—and she had to keep using that term or else she’d start writing his name all over her sketchbook and drawing hearts around it—was too new. Too special.
And now Mom had found Dad’s YouTube handle. When he told her he wanted to comment on her videos, she hadn’t thought much about it. No one would know who he really was anyway. There were so many comments on her videos that most of them got lost in the shuffle.
She paced, trying to figure out what to say. Maybe now was the time to tell her the truth. But she wasn’t sure. She feared her mother would be furious with her, and then fight with Dad. She’d seen enough of that as a child, and she didn’t want to witness it again.
More importantly, she didn’t want her father to have a reason to leave again. Not when they were just establishing a relationship.
She had to type something, or her mother would be at her door any minute now.
Britt: I don’t know.
Mom: He/she commented on your last video. Called you honey and then <3
Britt couldn’t help but smile. That was sweet.
Mom: Don’t respond. You don’t know who’s behind the screen name. He/she could be a criminal.
Britt: I won’t. I rarely respond to comments, just mostly like them.
Mom: I see you haven’t liked this one. You need to keep it that way.
Britt: Okay.
She tossed her phone on her bed and scowled. When would her mother stop badgering her about online safety?I’m not a child.She would never do something as careless as get involved witha delinquent. She’d even been super careful with Hunter, and he turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to her.
Sitting down on her reading chair, she thought about their conversation at the café again. They were slowly learning about each other. Their different tastes in foods, colors, and activities. She would have to show him the light when it came to yacht rock, though. He had no idea what he was missing.
What they hadn’t talked about was their families, and she was fine with that. Hers was so confusing right now, and she didn’t want to get into the past. She was enjoying the present, and that was enough for her. They would get to know more about each other as time went on.
Her phone buzzed again. She got up and grabbed it off her bed.
Good night, sweetie. I love you.
How could she be upset with her now? She smiled and texted back.
Britt: Love you too. Thanks for looking out for me.
Mom: Always
She stared at the screen, keyed up over lying to her mother, getting treated like a two-year-old, and now feeling enveloped in love and security. Her mother was the only person in the world she fully trusted, and that included Savannah. No matter what, Mom had her back.
But she wished she had someone to talk to about this. She didn’t want to bother Savannah with her family drama, although she knew her friend would drop everything and be there for her. That wouldn’t be fair to her, though. This was Savannah’s timeto shine, and she needed to focus on the upcoming wedding, her move, and her fiancé.
Talking to her father about it was out of the question. If he knew her mother had discovered his screen name, he might stop commenting altogether. Britt didn’t want that. She liked seeing his cute little messages.
She moved her thumb across the screen to her very short list of contacts and saw Hunter’s name. They’d already put a period on the end of their day with their prior text conversation. She’d been relieved when he told her he had a standing time to play video games with his friend and hadn’t left so fast because she’d said or done something weird. She didn’t want to take up too much of his time. He had a life outside of her.
Her gaze stayed on his name. Then she tapped on it.
You awake?
He immediately answered.
Hunter: Yep.
Britt: How was the video game match?
