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“Wait!” I held my hands out, panic lurching into my chest, because I still had to go to Ella. “Not tonight. I need to—”
“Whatever you need to do can wait. You’re not going to use that kind of language in my house. Now go! And give me your phone, too.” She held her hand out.
My nostrils flared as I breathed through my nose and handed her my phone, anger scraping through my veins like barbed wire. I debated saying something else, but thought better of it because if I was grounded all week, I’d never get to speak with Ella.
“Fine,” I ground out, even though it wasn’t fine. Not one little bit. Because if I couldn’t get to her tonight, she’d spend it thinking Luca really was me. That I’d have the audacity to kiss another girl after the evening we had. That our night wasn’t totally perfect, busted telescope and all. Thatshewasn’t completely perfect.
Chapter 26
BARRY
Ithoughtallnightabout Ella. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t escape her. My mind raced with all the things I could do or say to make everything better, but in the end, no makeovers or magic words would smooth things over. All I could do was tell her the truth, and she would either believe me, or she wouldn’t.
After talking to Scarlett and deciding on a plan of action, I quickly dressed in a pair of chinos and a soft green button down. Then I styled my hair with product, just like Pink Hair showed me, and put in my contacts. Taking a step back from the mirror, I surveyed the results, happy to see a casual version of myself from yesterday.
When I stepped out into the hallway and descended the stairs, I prepared myself for a lecture from my mother. No way was I getting out of the house without one of her life lessons on respect. Which was fine. I was out of line, even if Bat Man deserved it.
The scent of frying bacon hit me the moment I stepped onto the landing, beckoning me toward the kitchen where I found my mother at the stove, scrambling a pan of eggs.
“Why don’t you have a seat?” she said with her back turned toward me, sensing my presence in the way that mothers did.
I hesitated a moment, watching her move efficiently around the kitchen as she plated the eggs and bacon, then sat them on the table, along with a carafe of orange juice and a plate of buttered toast.
My eyes made quick work of the setup, noting only two plates, more than relieved Bat Man wouldn’t be joining us.
I slid into one of the chairs and topped my plate off with a little bit of everything, glancing tentatively up at my mother when she did the same. She took a bite of her eggs and chewed, chasing it with a swig of her coffee before she set her mug down and met my eyes expectantly.
“I’m sorry if I disrespected you last night with my language, but I’m not sorry for the intended meaning behind my words,” I said, and though I knew it wasn’t the apology she wanted, she nodded.
“Accepted. Not a fan of Dan’s?” she asked, picking her fork back up.
“That’s one way to put it.”
“I’m sorry.” With a sigh, she pushed the eggs around on her plate while I frowned. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner. I mean, I always sensed the tension . . .” She paused and dropped her fork, her voice thickening as she continued, “But I should’ve seen it sooner. His biting remarks. How he put you down and belittled you while making it seem like he was simply ‘offering advice’ or ‘being honest.’” She made air quotes with her hands. “I think I was just lonely, and when he was with me, he treated me well, so ignored everything else because I didn’t want to see the truth.”
“Mom, you don’t have to explain—”
“I broke up with him.”
I should have felt guilty for the joy that rushed through me at her words, but I didn’t. “I’m sorry,” I said, only half meaning it.
“Don’t be.” She reached out, taking my hands in hers. “He was a jerk, even if he sometimes wasn’t. I’ll find someone else.”
“You deserve more.”
“I know, sweet boy.” She squeezed my hands, then sat back in her chair and gestured to my hair and clothes. “All of this . . . these changes aren’t because of him, right?”
“Bat Man?” I asked, confused, but at her own perplexed look, I cleared my throat. “Er, I mean, Dan? No. It’s for . . .” I blushed and ducked my head. “A girl.”
“I thought it might be.”
When my gaze returned to hers, she was grinning. “The one from your chemistry class?”
I nodded.
“Is she worthy of you? Because even though you look great, it seems you’ve gone to great lengths to impress her.”
“She is,” I said in a firm tone.
