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He leaves me on read. I get that he’s upset, but I didn’t break my phone on purpose. Like he said, it’s whatever, I guess. One problem at a time.
Staring at my reflection as I brush my teeth and wash my face, I can’t stop remembering last night. Being alone with Kyson in that church. If his friends hadn’t shown up, would we have stopped? Would I have wanted to?
My skin flushes pink at the visual in my head of Kyson sitting there with his head thrown back, all broody and dangerous. Wicked.
I push away those sinful thoughts and dress quickly. I meet Helen in the kitchen. “You missed breakfast.” Her gaze stays on me as I grab a couple of muffins to pick at.
“Guess I needed the rest. It’s been a long week.”
“Are you settling in okay? Kyson said the girl you rode to the football game with ditched you and he had to give you a ride.”
I catch myself before I snort at the lame excuse. “Guess everyone loves to pick on the new kid. It’s fine. I was lucky he was able to pick me up.”
“Some retail therapy might help.”
“Is there an Apple store around? I clumsily dropped my phone and shattered the screen.”
“There’s one near the outlet mall.”
“Cool.”
“Hope you don’t mind spending the day with me. I always wanted a daughter to do all the fun girlie things with. Having more kids wasn’t in the cards though and, well, with my work schedule, I don’t get much time for friends outside of the job.”
“Well, to be fair, I’ve never really had a mom to do anything with, either.”
Helen shoots me a sympathetic smile. One full of pity. I hate it. The last thing I want, or need, is her feeling sorry for my lousy lot in life where my own mother is concerned. “Kyson doesn’t like to go shopping?” I smile, trying to lighten the mood.
“Kyson shopping?” Helen laughs, looking delighted at the idea. “Dear, the boy barely tolerates a Game Stop. The only time he’s stepped foot in a mall was when he was forced to go with me to get some new sneakers and even then, he spent most of the time sulking in the arcade.”
“Sounds like him,” I say, chuckling. I can envision the scene clearly–that brooding scowl on his face as he waited impatiently under the fluorescent lights of some upscale department store.
Helen rises from her chair, her gaze thoughtful. “If you’re not in too much of a rush… why don’t we make a full day out of it? We could get your phone fixed, do some shopping, and maybe get our nails done. Catch a movie even and get sushi. It’s been so long since I’ve treated myself.”
“That sounds great.” I return her sincere smile. A day out with her might be exactly what I need to get my mind off Kyson and last night, and my fight with Matt.
“Perfect!” She claps her hands together with anticipation. “If we go now, we should be able to get squeezed in at Divas for a mani and a pedi.”
“So, tell me about this Matt guy. How long have you been dating?” Helen glances over at me as the technician files her nails while I get a foot massage.
“Around three years this Christmas.”
“You must miss him a lot.”
“I do.” My stomach churns at the current topic, reminding me how many times I’ve betrayed him since my arrival. The tech doing my feet glances up at me and I can tell she’s smiling under her mask.
“He must be quite the catch to earn your father’s approval. He was always so protective.”
“It helped that he worked with his dad. They were close.”
“I hope you know that we’re thrilled to have you staying with us. I know Kyson can be difficult. It’s my own fault. I take full responsibility. After we lost his father, I coddled him. Let him get away with far too much and now it’s too late to do anything about it. John’s tried with him, but in his eyes he thinks of him as a stand in. A poor man’s replacement. He resents him.”
“Must be hard for you having the two men you love the most at odds.”
“It is,” Helen admits, her gaze flitting down to her nails. The technician continues to file them unfazed, the whirring sound filling the silence. “I’d always hoped in time they’d learn to see past their differences. But I don’t think that day will ever come.”
“Kyson and I are getting along just fine,” I add quickly. She looks relieved at my response, a weight visibly lifting off her shoulders.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she responds, a warm smile gracing her features. “Despite his rough exterior, Kyson’s got a good heart beneath all that armor.”
