AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, okay.” He said this, but a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. He definitely knew I’d been flirting a moment ago. “Anyway, who were you on the phone with?”
He sounded more curious than anything.
He moved some of his books, and I sat on the couch. I asked him about them in the process, and he said he was studying.
He really does take school seriously.
It was funny that was how all this had started. He’d wanted a fake relationship for his family, yes, but clearly, his initial excuse of school was a part of that.
I sat back on the couch. “I was talking with my mom actually. Well, I responded to one of her texts.”
That was kind of a big deal since I never did, and I’d been surprised I had.
Wolf’s attention drifted from his books. “Everything okay?”
“Mmhmm. I just never do. Respond to her texts.” I put my phone on the coffee table. “Anyway, I did today.”
I had no idea what had compelled me, and it hadn’t been a big deal. She’d actually just sent me more pictures about what she and my stepdad were up to. She sent those a lot, and instead of ignoring them, I said something today.
“She sent photos from a trip she’d been on, and I saidnice,” I stated, then laughed. “I think I made her day.”
Hell, I’d made my mother’s year. She asked me how I’d been after that, and I said okay. The conversation hadn’t really gone anywhere after that, but it had started.
So I guess that was a big deal.
Wolf had his legs crossed at the knee, and he posted both feet to the floor. “I didn’t know you didn’t talk to your mom.”
I waved a hand. “We’ve just been distant. After Dad passed and all that.” Wolf’s head cocked, and I scrubbed into my hair. “The conversation we had wasn’t much, but it was nice, and she sounded happy I said something.”
More than happy.
“What made you want to talk to her?” Wolf angled in my direction. “If you usually don’t, I mean.”
Well,thatI didn’t know, but I felt a sneaking suspicion it had to do with him. I nudged him. “Maybe spending some time with the happy, perfect Mallicks last weekend did that.”
His family did seem happy, was happy, and they certainly had plenty of reasons not to be.
Maybe, in a way, that had me looking at my whole family dynamic. If a family like that could heal, why couldn’t mine?
Why couldn’t I?
My fingers grazed my arm, again fidgeting, and I noticed Wolf’s doing the same.
“We’re not perfect,” he said, his attention falling back to his books. “And certainly not me.”
But he was trying, and they did all seem happy. I nodded. “Anyway, yeah. Mom definitely loved hearing from me, and I said I’d talk to her again. Told her I planned to call sometime.” I think I actually would.
Crazy.
I really did feel myself changing, which was insane. I was feeling open to addressing some things in myself for the first time.
I had no idea if that had to do with Wolf or not but I hadn’t felt that wayat allbefore our fake relationship.
“That’s real good, Red. Good,” he said, his smile returning. “Family is important. Family’s everything.”
His voice sounded a little far away, and I scooted closer. “I’m trying to get back there. To what my mom and I had?” I smiled. “And it was nice to see what she and my stepdad were up to. They were just in Bali, but they’re back in New York now. That’s where they live. My mom’s a party planner. Did I tell you that?”
Yeah, didn’t know why I was telling him that, sharing more of my business.
