Page 76 of See You in Your Dreams

That shared nightmare was precisely the wake-up call I need to stop pretending everything’s all right. I’ve been struggling for a long time now, hiding it behind a smile and constant motion. But just like Ash, the only way I’ll ever get better is by facing my demons head on. I only hope he keeps up his end of the bargain today and speaks with his aunt.

My house is quiet when I open the front door and slip into the kitchen. I let out a relieved breath even as my chest tightens. Guess everyone’s still asleep, which means I have a few minutes’ reprieve until I need to talk.

Running through what I’m going to say in my head, I creep into the living room and freeze. Mom is sitting on the couch,reading a grubby paperback. She glances up at me with a tired smile.

“Oh, hi, honey. Sorry I missed you last night. Tommy said you went over to a friend’s.”

A friend, huh?As if Tommy had any fucking idea where I’d stormed off to after he decked me. For all he knew or cared, I could’ve been freezing to death in a ditch somewhere.

Before I can muster a reply, Mom spots my black eye, her own eyes widening. She discards the forgotten paperback, leaping to her feet and rushing toward me. “Dylan! What happened? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Mom,” I sigh, squirming beneath her ministrations. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? You have a black eye! Have you been fighting? Isthatwhere you were last night?”

“No, Mom, I wasn’t fighting. I was—”

She tuts, ignoring me as she tilts my head to examine my injury better before abruptly letting go and moving toward the kitchen. My eye, mostly forgotten during the walk home, throbs.

“I have a bag of frozen peas you can put on it. That should take down some of the swelling.”

“Mom!”

My exasperated cry brings her up short. She turns to regard me, raising an eyebrow. I inhale, puffing it out in a steady stream while I gather my thoughts.Here goes nothing.

“I was at my boyfriend’s house last night,” I say, heart pounding as I wait for her reaction.

She blinks once, twice. Then, her grin returns in full force. My hunched shoulders relax as she wraps me in a tight hug.

“Dylan, baby, that’s great! I’m so glad you’ve found someone.” She pulls back, gripping my shoulders as her eyes narrow. “Unless he—”

I quickly shake my head, horrified. “No, Mom, Ash didn’t do this to me! I told you, it’s no big deal.”

“Hmph.No big deal, he says. Well, we’ll see about that. In the meantime, let me at least fetch you those peas.” She presses a kiss to my cheek, a faint blush rising in my neck. “I’m so happy for you, honey. Be right back.”

I sink onto the couch while she rummages around the kitchen. Telling her about Ash had gone about as smoothly as I could’ve hoped. I mean, I’d expected as much. She’s been nothing but supportive since I came out. Still, after what happened with Dad, I’d dreaded the thought of bringing it up.

That was just the warmup, though. The hard part is yet to come.

Mom returns a few moments later, a giant bag of frozen peas in tow. “That thing is bigger than my entire head, Mom!” I exclaim, staring at it.

She shrugs. “It’s all I have right now, and it should still work fine. Just hold it in your lap and press the corner against your eye.”

Shethumpsthe bag into my lap, cold permeating my jeans as I lean it against my chest and lower my head so my eye rests against it. I have to admit, the chill definitely helps my aching face…even if it’s liable to give me frostbite instead.

“Now, tell me all about this Ash of yours,” Mom says, taking a seat beside me on the couch. “He’s that boy who moved here from Maine, right? I hope Banton hasn’t been too big of a culture shock for him. You’ll have to invite him around for dinner soon so we can meet him properly.”

“Actually, Mom,” I say, staring down at my hands in my lap—or at least, what I can see of them past the giant bag of peas. “There’s something else I kinda wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” She settles in, giving me her full attention. “What is it, honey? You know you can tell me anything.”

I fidget with my hands. “Well, you know how I’ve already cut back my hours with Dr. Jenkins so I could help out more around here?” I wait for her to nod. “I feel like that’s been a good arrangement, but I’ve still been spreading myself too thin, trying to take on too much. And then college classes on top of everything else, not to mention the money…”

“Dylan,” she says slowly, her brow furrowing. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

I take a deep breath. “I’ve decided to postpone going to college.”

Instantly, her head whips from side to side. “Absolutely not! Out of the question.”