Page 101 of Bless My Body

as I feel. She must know what my mother is trying to do.

“Thank you.” She looks toward Celine. “Are you in school?”

“I’m graduating in a few weeks with a communications degree. Nothing as cool as law school,”

Celine jokes. My mom’s lips form a tight line. She doesn’t approve.

“Any idea what you want to do after graduation?” Melissa asks, making conversation.

“Not sure yet.” I see my mom roll her eyes, and I pray Celine didn’t see it. I know her future plans

are a sore subject for her. Melissa is only trying to be polite, but I sure as hell don’t want my mother

turning this into something it’s not. She has a talent for that.

Luckily, Mom doesn’t add fuel to the fire. We talk for a few more minutes before Melissa politely

excuses herself. Once she’s gone, Mom and I lock eyes for just about twenty seconds before she

shakes her head and walks away without saying another word.

I look at Celine, and her brows are furrowed in confusion. She was worried about my mom not

liking her, and now here we are, with her acting like this. Rather than going through all of my mom’s

issues, I ask, “You hungry?”

A slow smile spreads across her very kissable lips. “Starving.”

We head over to where the food is being served, fill our plates, and sit alone at a table in the

backyard. Celine doesn’t say much while we eat, which is unusual for her. I’ve never known her not

to have something to say. She looks like she’s got something going on in that pretty head of hers, but

I’m not sure if she’s ready to talk about it. And whatever it is probably isn’t something we should talk

about around a hundred people we don’t know.

After we eat, Mom has Dad’s birthday cake brought out. She makes me stand next to him while he

holds up a cake that is way too small for this many people, but whatever. People take pictures and

clap when he blows out his candles.

There are a ton of unfamiliar eyes on me, but my eyes stay on Celine. She’s looking at me too with

a smile that brightens this whole damn room. With our eyes locked, it feels like we’re the only people

in the room. I want to bring her close to me and never let go.

I swallow, worrying that I might be falling even further into something I’m not going to get myself

out of. But I can’t stop. Celine is addicting, and I knew from the moment I met her four years ago I

wouldn’t be able to quit her. Hell, I don’t want to quit her.

It terrifies me because my time with her is up. After this weekend, I have to go back to being in