Page 68 of Every Time We Touch

I’m about to lock up the studio—and hop into my car to see Jen—when someone knocks on the door. Expecting a student who forgot something, I open it with a grin on my lips, only to come face-to-face with Mimi St James. Uh-oh.

“Can we talk?” she says.

“Um, yeah. Of course.” Jen must not know her mother’s here. Surely, she would have given me a heads-up. I usher Mimi into my office. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I gesture for Mimi to sit because she looks rather intimidating standing.

Mimi takes a seat, then gives a small shake of the head. “My family’s not in the best shape because of you,” she says.

I sit opposite her. “Yeah.” Jen told me about Lauren storming off—but also how Austin and Juan were less judgmental. And how Heather stayed with her after she told her siblings about me. “I know.” While the outcome of my feelings—and my acting on them—is not ideal, I’m done apologizing for them.

“I’d like to say a couple of things, if I may.”

“Of course.” I can hardly stop her and I’m also curious about Mimi’s take on all this.

“I know my daughter better than anyone,” Mimi says. “Jen’s anything but impulsive. She wouldn’t let her life implode like this lightly. I know that much.” She crosses one leg over the other. “But you’ve blindsided everyone. Eric most of all.” She rests her gaze on me—it’s not unkind but not exactly warm and cuddly either. “I can understand that you fell in love with each other, but maybe it would have been better to wait, until…” She shrugs. “I don’t know until when. Maybe until Eric had fallen out of love with you.”

“I never meant to hurt Eric.” It’s easy enough to say, but I hardly acted accordingly. “And I know how terrible this all looks but I don’t know how to fall out of love with Jen now.”

“Maybe Eric doesn’t know how to fall out of love with you.”

Touché. If Eric feels the same way about me as I feel about Jen, this might actually be every bit as terrible as it looks. The difference, however, is that it isn’t, and never was, mutual. For me, it doesn’t compare to how things are when I’m with Jen.

“I have to believe he will,” I say. It’s all I have under the circumstances. Mimi is Eric’s ex-wife. Surely, she hasn’t come here to fight his battle. I don’t know all the ins and outs of it, but I know they’ve always had a complicated relationship.

“It’s not so much Eric I’m worried about.” Mimi’s eyebrows lift a fraction.

“I realize this is very hard for Jen, with her siblings.”

“Heather and Austin are surprisingly chill about it,” Mimi says. “But I’m not a fan of my kids falling out. And Lauren’s reaction is completely understandable.”

“Of course.”

Mimi tilts her head. “I’m just trying to get a bit more of a handle on you.” She gives a small chuckle. “When Eric brought you over for brunch, it was easy enough to see why he was so hung up on you.”

Again, I’m stumped for words—and not contributing a whole lot to this conversation. Sitting down hasn’t made Mimi any less intimidating.

“I also know Eric better than most. He’s a good guy. He loves his kids more than anything, but with what he’s been through with Abby, I’m not sure how long it will take him to forgive Jen. Seeing their relationship suffer is painful.”

“What’s the alternative, though?” I’m not sure where I get the audacity to ask Jen’s mother this. But I’m just as crazy about Jen as she is about me—and this question deserves to be asked.

“I haven’t come here to beg you to let Jen go. To give her an out or something silly like that.” She nods. “Love is too precious for that, but…” She presses her lips together. “This is not going to be easy. To be completely honest, I’m not sure Jen is equipped to deal with all of this. She shouldn’t have to, but it seems to me she has given herself no choice.”

“I’m strong.” I can barely squeeze the words past the dryness in my throat, making me sound anything but strong. “I’ll be there for her.”

Mimi puffs up her cheeks and lets the air escape slowly. She looks me in the eye. “This is my family,” she says. “You’d better make damn sure this is all worth it.” She holds up her hand, as if she’s the one who owes me an apology. “Although it’s impossible to know that. I’m aware.”

“There’s one thing you absolutely do not have to doubt,” I say. “And that’s my feelings for Jen.”

“That may be so, but only a few weeks ago you sat at my table as my ex-husband’s girlfriend. It’s hard to forget that stupid grin on Eric’s face. The kids were all up in arms about how young you were.” She snickers. “It just goes to show how funny life can be.”

“Do I wish the circumstances were different?” I say. “Fuck, yes, because then Jen wouldn’t have to go through all this. But, on the other hand, if she wasn’t Eric’s daughter, I might never have met her.”

Mimi chuckles. “Maybe that’s true.” She pushes herself out of her chair. “I can see why they both like you so much.” She glances down at me. “Take care of Jen through all of this for me.”

“I promise I will do that.” I quickly rise because Mimi St James is the kind of woman you want to meet at eye level. “Good luck with your movie.”