Page 50 of Never Let Go

“I’ll do that.” I shook with him and left, feeling a little lightheaded again. I just made a verbal offer to purchase an upmarket property and I didn’t even flinch.

This was all back to being just super fucking surreal. Porter and I hadn’t grown up rich. Our parents had been lower-middle class, at best, and while we’d gotten by just fine, this was a whole different ballgame.

My mother’s tales of her life when she had been growing up had always seemed like just that to me, tales. Fairy tales I couldn’t imagine having been her life, but now, it was mine and I couldn’t just wrap my head around it and move on.

After I got into my car, I waited until my phone connected to it and then called Porter. “I might’ve just bought an apartment.”

There was silence at the other end of the line, which wasn’t surprising. I hadn’t even greeted him yet, just blurting it out. “Okay. Where is it?”

“Belltown.”

“Wow.” He let out a low whistle and then chuckled. “Congratulations. That’s great. Just one question, though. Why don’t you sound excited?”

“This thing costs more money than I’ve ever made. Like, in my entire life of working every day since I graduated college and most days before that, I haven’t made anything close to the amount this place is priced at.”

“Sure, but you don’t need to have made it to be able to afford it. You spoke to my investment guy, right? Do you even know how much you’re going to be earning only in interest?”

“Yeah, I have and I do, but shit, Porter. This is a lot of money, but I walked in, loved the place, and told the realtor I’d make an offer. This isn’t my life, man.”

He chuckled. “It wasn’t mine either, but things change. Eventually, you’ll get used to it. Are you still meeting Mom for lunch?”

“Yep.”

“Great, do you think you could talk to her about this? I’m just about to run into a meeting.”

I sighed. “A meeting? For what?”

“I’m considering signing on to give a few lectures to freshman engineering students,” he said cheerfully. “Pass on the knowledge, you know?”

“That’s a good idea,” I said. “I mean, I don’t know how much knowledge you’ve got to pass on, but at least you’re trying.”

“Asshole.” He laughed. “Talk to you later?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Send my love to Mom.” He hung up just as I was parking in front of the little café where my mom and I were having lunch.

We didn’t do this nearly often enough, but I wanted to talk to her about Priscilla’s phone call and it felt like the right thing to do it in person. I grabbed a table when I walked in to find she wasn’t there yet. Then I ordered us each a coffee and settled in for the wait, constantly turning over the mental images of that apartment in my head.

When Mom arrived and dropped into the seat across from me, her hair windblown and her smile wide but frantic, her brow furrowed immediately when she saw whatever look was on my face. “Uh oh. What happened?”

“Am I that obvious?”

She reached for her coffee and dropped her chin slightly, peering at me from between the long lashes Porter and I had inherited. “I’m your mother. I changed your diapers. After growing you in my uterus for nine months. Yes, you are that obvious.”

A sideways smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “Thanks for that. I feel so much better about myself now.”

She chuckled and rolled her eyes at me as she took a sip of her coffee. “So what’s up? Is this still about Grandpa’s money?”

“How did you know?”

“I’ve been around the block a few times, kiddo. Especially with him and that money of his.”

I looked into her eyes from across the table, wondering if I should even mention Priscilla’s phone call now. “Did you ever forgive them?”

Mom’s gaze clouded over, and she shook her head. “I’m their daughter. Their only child. The only thing parents really have to do is to love their kids. Obviously, children also need their parents a little more when they’re younger, but it all comes down to love. They didn’t love me enough to allow me or my children to be in their lives and all because they didn’t like the man I chose for myself, so no. I don’t think I have forgiven them.”

Shit. Yep, not mentioning Priscilla. I did talk to her about the money, though. And the apartment. Dating Amanda. Everything except for Priscilla’s phone call.