Still, he hesitated. “If you need help, you’ll tell me?”
“Yes.” Her gaze was direct, her voice confident and sure. “I promise.”
His head suddenly lighter on his shoulders, he found himself able to smile at her. “Pinkie swear?”
She laughed, and he did too, and they clasped pinkies, as they’d done to seal vows all through his childhood.
After one last kiss on his forehead, his mother sat back in her chair and picked up her spoon again. “I’m going to eat my oatmeal, then make you some new toast. While I do all that, you can tell me what happened with Lauren.”
His smile died, and he slumped over the table.
Dammit, his mother had always, always been too smart for him. He hadn’t successfully snuck out of their apartmentonce.
“I watched you two together when I called the other night.” Her spoon clacked against the bowl as she scooped up a bite. “From what I saw, she cares for you very much, and you obviously love her. So why are you here, heartbroken and alone?”
She chewed her breakfast, the silver streaks in her hair glinting in the sun, utterly patient. Utterly relentless.
He might as well answer. She’d browbeat it out of him at some point anyway.
“I have no goddamn idea what happened.” He couldn’t help the bitterness in his tone. “In the middle of the wedding reception, Lauren said she had to return to her real life and her real job, thanked me for my kindness andfriendship,and caught a cab for the airport. I haven’t heard from her since.”
Of course, he hadn’t contacted her either, but she was the one who’d left, not him.
“That’s odd.” Lines scored across his mother’s forehead, and she tapped her spoon against the surface of her oatmeal. “Did something happen at the wedding?”
He spread his hands, renewed frustration pounding at his temples. “Not as far as I know.”
She thought for a moment. “What about the rest of the day? Did anything else happen that might have upset her?”
“Again, nothing I know about.” Jumping to his feet, he began pacing. “I told her about the job offer, but she’d already decided to leave before that.”
“Out of curiosity,” his mother said slowly, “if Lauren had stayed and you’d accepted the offer, how did you intend to deal with the separation from her?”
He winced and paced faster. “I kind of, uh … assumed she’d want to come with me. As my cohost. Zach and I were negotiating with StreamUs about that when she left.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Youassumedthat?” Her low whistle hurt his ears. “Wow. Alex—”
“Lauren already tackled that part of things, believe me.” He swallowed hard, his throat burning with yet more tears. “It wasn’t smart, and it wasn’t right, but I can’t go back and change what I did, Mom.”
Her little hum was starting to annoy the hell out of him. How had he forgotten that telltale noise? That unmistakable sign his mom smelled bullshit and intended to track down its source?
“And what if StreamUs said no? For that matter, what if StreamUs said yes and Lauren turned down the opportunity?” Her eyes narrowed on him. “What would you have done then?”
She knew. He knew she knew.
But she was forcing him to say it anyway, because his mom wasthe worst.
“I wouldn’t choose a paycheck over Lauren.” He scowled at her. “I’d have rejected the offer.”
“Alex …” Her eyes shut tight, she seemed to shrink into her seat. “God, Alex.”
Did she expect him to cast Lauren aside for a goddamn job? What the hell kind of man did she think he was?
Another lap of the island. Another. “What? Is it a crime to stay in the same damn state as the woman you love?”
“Of course not.” She opened her eyes, and they were red-rimmed. Tired. “But sweetheart, I don’t think you realize what you’re doing to the people who care about you.”
