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However, after he had asked the question, it became clear it was one Jared hadn’t approved of, because he growled his name in warning. It would have most likely been a simple question for some other couples, or perhaps not. In truth, I didn't know because Jared was the first boyfriend I’d ever had. He was who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But when I thought about the rest of my life, I also knew now that I had many different aspects to factor in, like where would I live, what would I do as a job and how would I pay my way?
So, when he asked the question about my future, the answer hadn’t been so simple to give. And I think the moment I hesitated was the moment that Jared warned his brother against saying anything more. Which also wasn’t surprising because after the last few days we'd had, well, let's just say we didn't need anything more serious adding to the conversation.
But since that day, Jared had been quiet. Of course he teased me occasionally, smiled when I did something he found cute or endearing, but all the while it looked like he had heavy thoughts on his mind. And now I knew for the last five days it was because he was planning something. Planning something that started with taking me to my parents.
Which was why I was so quiet on the journey, with my mood now reflecting his. He knew this too, because on the drive he would pick up my hand and bring it to his lips to kiss, before asking me,
“You okay, babe?” And like all times before it, I answered in the same way.
“Sure am.” When in actual fact, I wanted to scream. All the while waiting for him to come clean and tell me what was really going on. I wanted to scream at him that of course I wasn't all right. That I was worried as fuck and the times that I would wake up in a panic at night had nothing to do with the excuses I gave him. Nothing to do with the past I thought I was still in. All the summoned souls than I now had possession of. Oh, I had plenty of excuses and even more reasons to have nightmares but only one thing truly terrified me.
And that was losing Jared.
But then, soon enough we were pulling into my parent’s drive and that worry only tripled, like waiting for a bomb to go off as you watched the clock count down kind of worry.
As for my parents, of course, I had spoken to them on the phone the moment they came back from their cruise. They had also made me promise to see them soon, something Jared had reminded me of when he first made the suggestion. And like I said, it would have been something I was more than excited to do, had I not already known this was part of his plan. In the end, I let both him and my mother wear me down, which was why they were now opening their front door the second they heard the car approach.
The sight of my smiling mother momentarily made me forget why I didn't want to come. As I got out of the car I couldn't help but notice that my mother seemed to have lost some weight.
“Mom!” I shouted, as I ran into her arms. Then I held her back and said,
“I always heard you were supposed to put weight on when cruising.” She laughed at this before waving it off with her hand, telling me,
“Oh, I just got this stupid stomach bug, it's passed now but parts of the cruise didn't agree with me.”
I told her I was sorry to hear that before making room for my dad because he also wanted my attention. He gave me one of his Big Bear hugs and for a single moment, the entire world seemed to right itself.
I heard my mom welcoming Jared, making me glance over my shoulder and seeing her hug him. He genuinely looked happy to see my parents, and it seemed to be one of the first real smiles I'd seen for a while. But of course, this was the first part of his plan after all, and the knowledge made me internally deflate.
Jared shook my dad's hand, and shortly after we all found ourselves sitting in the living room, with Mom bringing the tea in on her best serving tray. Of course, it was coffee for me and my dad, and I couldn’t help but giggle when Jared whispered in my ear,
“Oh look, Red, the good biscuits.”
I would have commented something sassy in return, but my mom sat down and that’s when the small talk began. Because what were we supposed to talk about on our side? We couldn’t exactly tell them what we had been up to lately. What with my trip to the past and Jared’s stint in a Hellish prison before being forced to fight Demonic, gladiator-style for some crazed bitch one night stand. And that’s not even mentioning how I wasn’t even sure if I was still entirely human, or that before me, Jared clearly had considerably questionable taste in women.
So, I played it safe, and I asked about their cruise. They regaled us with funny tales of my dad on the dance floor being taught how to do the tango and tripping over his own feet. But at one point, Jared clearly wanted to speak to my father alone and made the excuse by asking about the truck he was working on. It took no time at all before my dad was offering to show him. Well, at the very least, it also gave me chance to speak to my mom in private because, right now, I needed some advice.
“So it all looks to be going well, I see,” was the first thing she said and well, she couldn't have been more wrong if she tried.
“I don't know, Mom.” Her face fell and I would have laughed had it not been for my situation. She looked like a woman who'd spent two hours watching a love story, only to find out that they both died in the end and everything they'd been through was for nothing.
“Oh dear, please tell me it's not the distance getting in the way,” she said, as if she was at the ready to try and convince me to move to wherever in the world he wanted to be. Of course, I knew my mom worried about my job, and I suppose rightly so considering my condition. This meant that any opportunity for me to change my career and my mom would have been all over that excuse. Especially if it came with the potential of a husband in my future.
“Perhaps… it's just… I don’t know, something seems off with him. He's been quiet this last week.”
“Perhaps he just has something on his mind, you know what men are like, they don't often like to talk about their feelings and if they do, it's something you often have to drag out of them. Your father is the same, I never told you this before but for the entire time that we've been together I always thought that there was a side of him he always kept to himself. Like he was afraid if I ever found out I would think differently of him.” I frowned, never hearing my mom speak about my dad this way. But then again, now I was in a relationship maybe it was something she could finally speak about, knowing that I could relate.
“He found out some stuff about his past recently, I know he's been struggling with that,” I admitted.
“Well there you go. I told you, men aren't the most forthcoming when it comes to their emotions, which means it can manifest in other ways.” I shrugged my shoulders and muttered,
“I guess so.”
“And besides, why would Jared be speaking to your father now if he wasn't in this for the long haul? He's trying to get to know him better, so that's a good sign.”
“Is it?” I couldn’t help but ask, even though I knew something my mother didn’t and that, in all likelihood, Jared was planning on leaving.
“Of course it is, they're bonding over car stuff… so try not to be a worrywart… it will all work out, you’ll see.” I laughed at her name for me and hoped that this was true. That he wasn't currently asking my father to take me back off his hands. That he wasn't telling him that I needed to stay here while he had stuff to sort out elsewhere. But then by the time they came back in, well, I didn't hold out much hope for this, not when Jared said,
