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"Hey," I mumble, lacking the confidence to raise my eyes and meet hers.
"Hey. Are you getting your things together?" she asks, moving into my room and taking a seat on my bed.
Up until this point, she hasn't mentioned anything about what happened yesterday. The expression on her face indicates that she is finally prepared to talk.
"Yeah, I'm almost done," I reply, still unable to meet her gaze.
For a moment, neither of us says a word, and the silence feels unbearable as I hastily stuff my belongings into my duffle bag.
Finally, she asks in a casual tone, "So, you and Jared?"
Her question appears nonchalant, yet I can sense that she has many more inquiries to follow.
"I suppose so. Although, I'm not entirely sure where we stand now," I manage to respond, struggling to engage in this conversation. Right now, it's the last thing I feel like doing.
However, considering what happened yesterday, I owe her this discussion.
"You know, you could have told me,” she says, her voice cracking with suppressed tears, amplifying my guilt tenfold.
I had been so consumed with the fear of Tyler discovering our secret that I failed to consider the implications of keeping it from other people who care about me. I hadn't even contemplated how my mom would feel knowing I withheld such information from her.
"It's not that I didn't trust you," I explain, finally tearing my gaze away from my bag and meeting my mom's eyes. "But Tyler couldn't find out. And Jessica, well, the cat is out of the bag there too."
I watch her discreetly wipe away a stray tear, and my heart aches at the sight of her distress.
"I understand why Jared would be concerned about Tyler finding out. He probably anticipated that reaction," she says, her chuckle devoid of humor.
"We should have been honest from the beginning," I confess, my voice filled with dejection as my shoulders slump under the weight of the consequences caused by Jared and me.
"You should have. But I understand why you weren't." Mom attempts to console me, extending her hand to rest on my shoulder.
Her touch is warm and comforting, showing me her love and acceptance no matter what. It’s the one thing keeping me from breaking down in tears.
"I'm truly sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to ruin your special day," I apologize, feeling ashamed of how things unfolded yesterday.
"Monica, you didn't ruin anything. Everything was perfect," Mom reassures me kindly.
Despite being certain that yesterday was far from perfect, it means a great deal to me that my mom would still console me. Being here with her now, I can't fathom how I ever believed she wouldn't be understanding about Jared and me.
"Now," she says, rising from the bed, "why don't we get going? I think you have someone you need to talk to."
* * *
Although,I didn't request it, I'm grateful when my parents drop me off at Jared's apartment. Just being outside of it fills me with a nervous energy about how this conversation will unfold. Hopefully, now that the truth is out, Jared will feel comfortable being in a public relationship with me.
"Thanks, guys," I say with a smile, pressing kisses on both of my parents' cheeks before grabbing my bag and stepping out of the car.
Anxiety courses through my body as I ascend to Jared's floor. By the time I reach his door, it takes every ounce of strength not to turn around and retreat to the safety of my own home.
Raising my fist slowly, I knock on the door and wait what feels like an eternity for Jared to answer.
When he finally does, the anxiety is replaced with a wave of sadness as I take in his appearance. Dark circles under his eyes indicate that he hasn't had much sleep since the previous day.
"Hey," I say softly, shuffling outside his doorway and waiting for him to invite me inside.
"Hey," he responds, his voice laden with heaviness as he finally moves away from the door.
Stepping inside, I drop my bag on the floor. The atmosphere between us is unusually tense and strained. The realization that Jared and I are in a difficult situation amplifies my anxiety tenfold.
