AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ew. Did he seriously just wink at me?
“Yep. It’s a beautiful part of the country.”
Tom wrinkles his nose. “Never really cared for the West Coast myself. Not my… style, you could say.” He grins, and I look away, yet I still feel the burn of his stare.
How is my mom not picking up on any of this? I watch as she barely lifts her head from her plate as if her food will grow legs and run off before she finishes.
The rest of dinner is awkward, Tom rattling on about some business deal while my mom nods like she’s listening. Instead, she was swirling her potatoes on her plate.
When we finish, she’s up quickly, gathering plates and silverware and running them off to the kitchen.
“You two sit tight. I’ll be right back with dessert.” Mom grins before she disappears into the kitchen.
Dessert? Since when have we ever had dessert?
“Your mother’s desserts are delicious,” Tom says as he licks his lips. “I bet yours are too.” He takes a sip of his liquor and watches me over the rim of the glass.
This guy is a disgusting creep. And Mom needs to know, stat.
“Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” I practically sprint to the kitchen. My mother is plating strawberry cheesecake, and damn, does it look good. But it doesn’t matter when her boyfriend is a piece of shit.
“Hey, Mom. Need any help with dessert?” I offer.
She waves me off. “No, no. Go sit. I’ll be right in.”
I hesitate and try to think of the best way to tell her. I run through a million scenarios in my head, none of them particularly good. So I just say it. “Mom, I think you should reconsider your relationship with Tom.”
“What?” she snaps, the spatula in her hand slamming onto the counter. “What are you talking about?”
I whisper, hoping he isn’t listening. “He’s a creep, Mom. Don’t you see how he keeps flirting with me?”
“Flirting with you? Wow, Chloe. Really? You couldn’t just say you didn’t like him? You had to stoop to that level, lie to my face, and hurt my feelings, didn’t you?”
She’s hurling so many accusations at me that I feel like I need a shield to dodge them all.
“I’m not lying! He’s a creep, and you know it!”
Her cheeks redden as Tom walks into the kitchen. “What’s going on in here?” he asks.
I’m not sticking around to hear my mother blame it all on me. He’s not a good person. Everything inside me is screaming to get away from him.
If only she would listen. Or see the signs. But she doesn’t.
I turn and walk out of the kitchen, ignoring her calls to come back.
ChapterTwelve
Tyler
“Are you feeling better?” Levi asks over FaceTime. I’m eating a bowl of cereal before work, my first day back since being out for three days. I can’t wait to get back because boredom has already taken hold.
“Yeah, but the sunburn still hurts a lot. I have blisters on my back and even cool water burns.”
“Shit, Ty. Well, at least you’re feeling better. No more beach days this summer.”
“It’s barely started. Have you talked to Dad recently?” I change the topic. I want to see if Levi knows anything before I have to leave.
“A couple of weeks ago. My recent calls to him have gone unanswered. Is everything alright?”
