“What part?”
“The getting to know each other, the dating, the driving each other crazy so we can just make up.” She smiles. “I want it all Aaron and I want it with you, that part isn’t going to change. This isn’t a sprint.”
I hold her stare.
“You can’t get rid of me now, even if you want to.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Kendall
I heara light knock on the door and look over to find Aaron asleep next to me. We’d fallen asleep on my couch watching a movie and I wasn’t even sure what time it was.
Lifting his arm, I sneak out beneath it and lay it over a pillow.
Walking across my living room I peek out the front door and feel like the air is sucked from my lungs.
I hurry to open the door, before she knocks once again. “What are you doing here?” I ask my mother as I step out onto the porch and close the door behind me.
“Well I came to see my daughter, of course.” She stands before me wearing a pantsuit I’m sure cost more than my rent payment. Already knowing she convinced some schmuck to foot the bill for that, I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
Here she stands acting as if this is a common thing for her to show up in Alabama to have a mother-daughter reunion. As if she and I are so close and she missed me.
“It’s been years,” I remind her.
“I know.” She shrugs. “Yet here I am. Are we going to go inside? I’d love to see your place.”
“No,” I say, glancing back over my shoulder and know my mistake as soon as I make it.
“Do you have company?” The eagerness in her voice is obvious and I know the hook is already set. She won’t let it go.
“I do.”
“A man?” she asks, smiling happily. “Is it the same man? That O’Shay boy?” It’s almost like I can see the dollar signs dancing in her eyes.
“Honestly Mother, you haven’t been anywhere near here in years. You’ve called only to lecture me or tell me about your new guy friend, and then randomly here you are on my doorstep. You hate Alabama, you’ve made that very clear time after time.”
“Kendall.” She laughs me off like I am being ridiculous, but it’s forced.
“What is it?” I ask, knowing there is an ulterior motive for this visit. There is no way she showed up here for anything to do with me.
She holds my stare and then lets out a humph. “Fine, Walter kicked me out.” And there it is, the truth. Something she is rarely capable of giving.
“Who is Walter?” I ask suddenly confused. The last guy’s name wasn’t Walter.
“He’s just a guy I’ve been staying with for a few weeks.”
“You mean a new guy you were mooching off of,” I correct her.
“You don’t have to be so rude,” she tries to mother me and it only makes me angry.
“It's true,” I tell her. “And don’t attempt to chastise me for my choice of wording. You haven’t been a mother to me in longer than I can remember. You were always too busy running around in search of your next husband. Looking for someone to throw money at your feet. You didn’t care what you left behind.”
“You were old enough to take care of yourself.”
“I was seven.” My voice rises and she jumps.
When the door opens behind me and my mother’s eyes grow wide I look back to find Aaron standing there. Sleep still filling his eyes, he is shirtless and only wearing a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips.
