AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mom didn’t interrupt Jaxon again, but waited for the second he finished speaking, taking a drink and she rounded on Owen once more. “Darling? Ask Teagan about her job.”
“The Barclays fire you yet?” he asked, joking.
Teagan felt a knot of tension release in her shoulders as she smiled, shaking her head. “No, still working.”
“Good. God know these outsiders need someone to provide their houseplants.”
Teagan grinned at her father. It was possible she’d never loved him more than she did in that moment.
Everything was silent for a long moment, and then Cassandra turned to Owen. “Owen, why don’t you ask Teagan about her love life?”
“Why don’tyouask her, Cassandra? I know everything I need to.”
“Perhaps I would if I didn’t already know.”
“Then why are you badgeringmeto ask?”
Her mother sucked in her breath and held it, jabbing her fork into her salad so hard it squeaked on the plate. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. It won’t amount to anything, anyway.”
It was bait. Teagan knew it was bait. She knew her mother was pressing her buttons and waiting for a response. The fact that she was correct in her assumption that she and Jaxon wouldn’t last stung more than anything else.
Teagan slammed her fork down on the table. “You’ll have to excuse me.”
“Not without finishing that food,” Cassandra rapped her fork on her plate. “We don’t waste food in this house, Teagan Emma.”
She set her jaw and stood. “I’ve lost my appetite… seems like I’ve just been feeling liketrashlately.” Turning away from her mother’s awe-stricken face, she addressed Jaxon. “I’ll be in the car.”
He wasn’t far behind her, leaving his barely half-eaten food on the table as they left. She pulled on her shoes and opened the door, with Jaxon jogging after her, his trainers in hand.
They were already backing out when Cassandra came to the door, calling out to stop them. They pulled down the dark street in silence, with Teagan breathing hard and trying not to burst into tears from the sheer excitement of it.
Her heart was pounding. Her fingers were tingling. She wrapped them tighter around the wheel.
“You okay?” Jaxon asked. His voice low and gentle, rumbling louder than the music that had synced up as soon as she’d started the car.
She nodded, smiling a little. “Yeah… little shaky, but… that felt good. Thank you.”
“For what?” he laughed. “I didn’t do very much back there. Other than bear the brunt of the insults.”
“No, I mean… for the pep talk before we went back in. And for sticking with me through this. Because you didn’t have to put up with my mom.”
“You didn’t have to stick up for me, either,” he countered. “I don’t care what your mom thinks of me.”
“Well, I do,” she replied. “I do.”
“Why?” he laughed. “I know we’re pretending here, so let’s call a spade a spade. When we end it, she’s going to be happy, it’s a clear win for you.”
Teagan knew why she’d done it. She did it because Jaxon was a good man. Because he didn’t deserve any of her mom’s vitriol. She did it because she thought better of Jaxon. Besides, she liked him. She loved… his friendship. Each insult felt like a slight against her as well. A slight against her judgment.
Sounds like you love more than just his friendship.
“I,” she began as an argument against the thought that had just entered her mind but realized quickly that she’d said it aloud. “I am just that kind of person. It’s how I am.”
He didn’t say anything in response, so she’d either stunned him into silence or he knew she was lying.
“You owe me a burger, Madden.”
She wasn’t expecting that. She glanced over at him, he was grinning in that laid back, Jaxon-way.
