“Is this the important work, which stops you from having dinner with your family?” Mom asks, folding her arms.
Dax sits up, shifting his legs off the bed, ready to bolt. His hands ground into the bed cover, and in an effort to keep him by my side, I plant a hand over his.
Mom takes two steps further into the room. “Won’t you introduce us?”
I dig my fingers between Dax’s, and when his hand jerks, I clamp down on it.
Mom releases a throaty chuckle. “You do know his name, don’t you?”
“This…” The tremble in my voice makes me pause. “This is Dax.”
“Hello there,” Mom says, looking him up and down. “I’m Vanessa’s mother, Hilda Ashworth.”
Dax shifts again, not saying a word.
Mom smiles at me. “I’m guessing your father doesn’t know about this.”
I criss-cross my legs and arch my back. “Are you going to tell him?”
“I don’t know what there is to tell,” she responds. “Yet.”
I glance at Dax and then back at my mother. “What do you need to know?”
“Nothing really,” Mom says, tilting her head. “I can tell from his appearance he’s not part of our circle. Far from it.”
“You can forget I was here,” Dax says, moving off the bed. “I’m not here to get Vanessa into trouble.”
Mom lifts a hand, making Dax stop in place. “You might not realize how many boys are after my daughter. She hasn’t taken an interest in any of them. Yet, young man, she’s clearly infatuated with you.”
“Mom.” My heart cautiously beats. “What are you saying?”
“If this is something you don’t want your father to know.” Her eyes run over Dax. “Then I won’t say anything.”
I swallow hard. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I also have something I’d prefer didn’t get back to your father.”
I bite inside my lip. “It’s blackmail.”
Mom mumbles a laugh. “You’d know all about that, considering how you spoke to me earlier.”
When will I learn I’ll never get the upper hand on my mother?
She smiles with calculating eyes. “We both have secrets we wish to keep, darling. It’ll be in your best interest to listen to me.”
Twenty-Two
Again,Ibarelyslept.Hearing Dax asleep made me so thankful, but I could’ve done without my mother’s voice causing havoc to my body. Her internal rants had me contorting in the sheets.
Just as Dax had halted our conversation about doctors, I didn’t let him push me into talking about my mother. But, perhaps if I vented I wouldn't have lied awake all night.
Doubt it. There’s no stopping my mother’s voice, even when imagined.
I leave the bed before Dax wakes. He’s in a deep sleep, and I’m too restless. I take my laptop into the living room to write an email to Sylvie’s English teacher, because I put it off last night.
On my school portal dashboard, I have Sylvie and Hope’s log-ins as options. From time to time, I go in and fix things on their behalf. I contemplate writing to Mr. Riley from Sylvie’s email, but instead, log back into mine.
An email from me will be actioned. Mr. Riley will only tell Sylvie to work harder. We already know that won’t happen.
