“Maybe because you need the reminder.” Laura sighed. “I’m sorry, Amy. I wish last night would have been better for you, and I know Daniel being back and Britt not telling you is a shock. I’m not trying to make light of your feelings, but this could be the chance you’ve been needing to put the past behind you for good.”
Amy let her comments settle.
“Think about it, okay?” Laura smiled. “Did you at least get to see the inside of the house?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “It’s incredible. I thought only people inmovies had houses like that.” So that was the type of environment Hunter had grown up in. No wonder he’d been a spoiled brat. Well, maybe not a brat, but he sure had an air of entitlement to him. Now that she knew who he was, the memories of him being in her class became clearer—the charming smile, the lack of effort, the attempts at making her believe his lies about why he didn’t have his schoolwork or couldn’t study for a test. None of it had worked on her.
She heard a car door slam and shot up from her chair. “That might be Britt,” Amy said.
Laura was already standing. “Good luck,” she said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
As Laura left the backyard, Amy went inside. She and Britt both arrived in the kitchen at the same time. Her chest squeezed as she saw the state of her daughter. She was wearing the same dress she had on last night, but it was wrinkled as if she’d slept in it. Her hair was in a sloppy ponytail, and whatever makeup she’d had on last night was gone, save for a small smear of black under her left lower lashes.
Amy rushed to her. “Are you okay?”
Britt slowly lifted her head, her eyes empty.
Chapter 24
“I’m so glad you’re home.”
Britt stiffened as her mother smothered her in a big hug. When Mom pulled away, she looked uncharacteristically uncertain. She also looked kind of terrible too, as if she hadn’t slept all night.Neither did I.
“Did you have breakfast yet?” Mom said. “I can whip up some chocolate chip pancakes. I know how much you love those.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You want some coffee then?” She went to the cabinet and took out a cup that saidI’m not bossy, I’m aggressively helpfulon the side. “I just made a fresh pot.”
“No thanks.” She set her purse on the table, then sat down. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Dad.”
Mom quickly moved to sit next to her. “It’s okay. I understand why you didn’t.”
“Really? I thought you’d be furious with me.”
“Oh, I was. But Laura helped me see the light. I’m still not happy about it, though.” She paused. “When were you going to tell me?”
“Today.” She leaned her elbow on the table, her head falling against her hand. After Hunter left, Maude gave Britt the guest bedroom and offered her one of her smaller caftans to sleep in. “This one’s from thirty pounds ago,” she’d said, holding up a green and yellow one. “It will still be big, but it would be morecomfortable than the dress.” But Britt had refused, too tired to think about changing clothes. Turned out she was too tired and emotionally exhausted to sleep too.
Mom sighed. “Well, I was going to tell you my secret today too. Remember that guy from last night?”
Britt frowned. “How could I forget? Is he your boyfriend?”
“No. He is—was—a friend.”
“Was?”
“Oh, Britt, I did something stupid last night. Really dumb.” She pushed back her light-brown bangs from her forehead. “I kissed Max in front of your father.”
“I’m not sure I want to hear this—”
“That’s as PG-13 as it gets. The problem is, I don’t like Max that way.”
Confused, Britt asked, “Then why did you kiss him?”
“To get back at your dad. Which I didn’t need to do. It’s not like Daniel has spent the last twenty years pining for me.”
Britt wasn’t sure that was true. Anytime her dad brought up Mom, there was a twinkle in his eyes and a lightness to his voice.
