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Lowell
Kyle was taking care of the arrangements for our interview, which would take place first thing in the morning. In the interim, I had to make the call I'd been dreading since Kyle came back into my life.
My mother. Always my mother.
I decided to call Pierce first. Kyle and I had already talked about it and decided on what to say to each of them. Dealing with his father's anger would be like baby-stepping toward dealing with my mother's.
"Lowell," he answered before it even rang. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. When Kyle asked for a credit card, I assumed it was for a plane ticket, not an engagement ring."
I swallowed hard. "That's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, Pierce."
He sighed. "You know that it's not personal. But the timing for all this couldn't be worse for me. Now that it's an engagement, your story's going to turn into even more of a media circus."
"I know," I said quickly. "But Kyle did it to protect me."
"I know. And I see how much he cares for you. But his being in the public eye like this, one week before my launch, is too risky for me. I've already told you both that."
"I know, but… he puts me first. Even when I tell him not to." I lovingly fingered my placeholder engagement ring. Now that I knew what it felt like to have someone fight for me, I understood it wasn't something I would give up easily. Still, I felt bad for Pierce. "I didn't want him to come out here honestly. I wanted him to stay in Cambridge. And stay away from me."
"So why'd you say yes?" That was Pierce for you. Always cutting to the chase.
But I felt that even though I'd made a mess out of Kyle's new life—the life he might not have now, if the launch went sour—I'd done the right thing. "Because I love him. And I want to marry him. I want that more than I want your app to be successful. More than I want my mom to be happy. And more than I want my acting career, I guess."
"What do you mean? I thought this would be your crowning moment in social media."
I shook my head. "No, sir." Taking a deep breath, I prepared for the worst. "A reporter told us about an hour ago that she's found out about our past." I steeled myself for his reaction, but all I heard was silence. "Pierce? Are you still there?"
"I'm here," he said. "I was just inwardly cursing."
"Well, Kyle and I are going to handle it. I promise."
"How the fuck do you plan on 'handling' it? It's a disaster is what it is. Put on a hazmat suit. That's about as much as you can do before a shit storm." He hung up on me.
I didn't really feel any better after those baby steps. I still had to call my mother though. I looked at myself in the mirror. Big girl panties, Lowell. Come on. I groaned and hit her number.
"Well, well, well," she said before the phone even had a chance to ring. "I knew you would ruin everything. You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady." She took a deep breath, winding up. "You're engaged? To your stepbrother? Who's been disinherited? Would it really be so difficult for you to just date a hot actor with a house in the Hills? Like a normal person?"
"You can't help who you fall in love with, Mom."
"Oh, cut the crap. Of course you can. Do you think it was fate I fell in love with four millionaires after your father left me penniless and with a baby? Do you think my heart told me to do that? No, young lady. Those were decisions based on rational thought. I needed someone to take care of us, so I found someone to take care of us. Several someones. And my heart didn't have any say in the matter. Have you met Pierce Richards? The man is ugly. He's a hairy beast. The man has more hair on his chest than he ever had on his head. He even has hair on his ass, Lowell. Like fur. But I married him anyway. Because it was the right thing to do for our future. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
"Not really," I answered weakly. "Which is pretty normal."
Caroline sighed. "It's time to grow up, young lady. Part of what you find out when you're an adult is that fairytales don't happen to those of us who live in the real world. You don't love Kyle. You just want him to put his dick inside you because he's a bad boy and because it's taboo. I know you. This is a phase. You'll grow out of it as soon as you two stop having sex all the time, then you'll realize what this is—lust. And maybe a late-stage temper tantrum."
"Please don't ever talk about Kyle's dick again." My voice was flat. "This is not about sex, Mother. I know you can't understand what being in love means. You don't love anybody except for yourself."
"That's not true," she said, and I almost felt her seething through the phone. "I love you. I loved your father—before he knocked me up and took off. I just don't let my emotions rule me. That's called being practical. That's called being a grown-up."
I paused for a second. "I'm sorry you're disappointed. I'm sorry I'm disappointing you."
"Then don't disappoint me, dear," she snapped. "You're the only one who never has. Don't start now."
I shook my head, tears welling up. "I don't want to be like you." The tears ran down my face. "I don't want to end up like you."
"Like what?" She snorted. "Thin, rich, and fashionable? There are far worse things, let me tell you."
"I don't want to be bitter. A bitter cougar. Aren't you lonely, Mom? Aren't you tired? Don't you want to be with someone who cares about you?"
