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For the second time in a matter of minutes, I squeeze my eyes closed before releasing a steady breath and forcing them open again. “I promise you that he’s not trouble. I wish you could take my word for it and trust me.”
“Unfortunately, that’s no longer possible. You’ve proven over the last week that you’re not capable of making good decisions.” Her voice turns quiet. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in you.”
My eyes widen as my mouth drops open.
I…can’t believe she just said that.
“What?”
“You heard me. I’ll be damned if I let some punk waltz in here and turn your head, undoing all our carefully laid plans.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Oh really? Then why have you been lying to me?”
I blink, thrown off by the question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Just this morning, you told me that Ms. Pettijohn asked you to continue tutoring that Hawthorne kid.”
My mouth turns cottony. Too late, I realize where this conversation is heading. It feels like a train crash is taking place in front of my eyes and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
“I spoke with Clarissa after school. Imagine my surprise when she told me she never asked any such thing of you.”
“Mom—”
“You were also kissing that Hawthorne boy in the hallway this morning. Everyone was talking about it.”
Oh god.
When I remain silent, she continues, voice escalating with each snapped-out word. “And that, he and Jasper almost got into another fight. It’s unfortunate that didn’t happen. Then he’d be tossed out on his ear.” She glares. “I look at you and it’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”
“That’s not true,” I whisper. “I haven’t changed. I’m still the same as I’ve always been.”
“Maybe you don’t want to see it, but you have. And it all started with Austin Hawthorne. He’s the problem. Both Jasper and Edmond think—”
“I don’t care what they think,” I growl, losing my patience.
“Delilah!” Her eyes widen in shock.
“Why are you listening to either one of them? Jasper’s a liar. How do you not see that?”
“And yet, you’re the one who has been caught in several lies. And he’s always been perfectly nice. Even when I see him around school, he’s always happy to chat.”
“He’s a phony, Mom. He never showed you his true colors.”
No, he reserved all that for me.
She waves a hand. “Just stop. I can’t believe you’re trying to throw him under the bus when he’s been so good to you.” She leans forward. “You know, he told me the real reason you broke up with him.”
That’s highly doubtful.
“You were seeing that other boy behind his back.” She squints and shakes her head. “Like I said, I don’t even know you anymore.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“You know what? I don’t want to hear any more of your lies. We’ve reached the point where I can’t trust anything that comes out of your mouth.”
Hot licks of pain slice through me. I can’t believe she’s saying this. I’ve always been a good kid and never caused her a single moment of worry. Instead of listening to what I have to say, she’s accusing me of lying.
