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It's not a question. It's a statement. No room for argument, and when he adds, “I'll bring food,” I’m not sure I want to argue.
I’m so, so tired of arguing.
A handful of seconds is all I manage to hold out before sighing. “Fine.”
I hear his smile as clearly as if I could see it. “See you tonight, sweetheart.”
God, I’m going to regret this.
* * *
I'm wrapped in a towel, soaking wet hair dripping on my bedroom floor, when the doorbell rings. Letting out a curse at Jackson for constantly being so annoyingly on time, I hastily throw on a pair of pyjamas and shove my arms into the sleeves of my robe. Combing my fingers through my hair with one hand, I open the front door with the other, already prepping some snarky comment to greet Jackson with.
Except it's not Jackson I'm greeted by.
“Ma.” I make no effort to hide my surprise. She shouldn’t be here; in Sun Valley nor at my apartment because I sure as shit never forwarded her my new address.
Ma offers me a wonky smile, awkwardly adjusting the strap of her handbag. “I wanted to see you.”
“How do you know where I live?”
“You're my kid, hun. Of course I know where you live.”
I don't know what to say to that so I just nod. A painful couple of silent minutes pass when I stand with the door barely open, like I'm guarding the apartment against her, while she dithers awkwardly an arm's length away, before I sigh. “Do you wanna come in?”
When she nods, I reluctantly step back and wave her in. She brushes past me, hands twisting nervously as she surveys the apartment. “This place is nice.”
“Yeah.” Considering how much Daddy Dearest is paying for it, it better be nice. Morally opposed to taking his money as I am, when Pen asked me to move in, I couldn’t say no. She didn't want to live alone, and I had nowhere else to go.
Plus, every so often, when we're feeling particularly sour about the situation, we run up the electricity and water bills on purpose.
“Is Pen home?”
“She's out.” Staying at her boyfriend’s for the night, which works out well; if Jackson makes me cry again, at least there won’t be any witnesses this time. Pen was downright murderous the other night, spewing vicious threats and colorful expletives that, if I wasn't already completely sure, would've definitely convinced me of our blood relation.
Speaking of... I glance at the clock on the wall. Almost seven. “Did you need something? I have plans.”
Ma's face twists into a half-wince, half-grimace. “I want to talk to you, Luna.”
Yeah, well, get in line.
“So, talk.”
“Luna, enough. Stop with the hostility, please.”
“I'm not being hostile. I just don't have time for this.”
Ma sighs. “I'm worried about you, Lu.”
“I'm fine.”
“You're not fine.” There's a snap to her voice, an extra bit of fire in blue eyes. “Almost drinking yourself to death isn't fine. Almost losing your scholarship isn't fine.”
“That's none of your business.” God, I have no idea how she even knows about any of that.
“It is my business, you're my kid.”
I snort.
