CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Nathan: Is everything okay? Chase and Emmet told me that your mom is in town. Are you okay?
Me: No.
Nathan: Do you want me to come over?
Me: God, no, that’d only make things worse.
Me: Sorry, that came out wrong. It’s not you guys, it’s my mother. She’s a bitch and I need to keep you guys away from her.
I watch the little three dots swirl on my phone before going blank and I frown. Shit, I didn’t mean for the text to come off so rude.
Finally, the phone dings.
Nathan: I understand, we’re always here if you need us.
Me: Yeah, maybe not while my mom is here though, okay?
I cringe, looking at the message, but knowing it’s the best decision. She doesn’t know about my boyfriends. The three men pull at a deep spot in my heart. As much of a pain as it is to ask them to stay away from me and the kids, I can’t let the special relationship that we have around my mother. It’s too important to me to let her fuck it up.
Me: I’ve already slapped her so I think maybe we should keep things a little low profile.
Again, the dots pop up before going out. This time my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“You slapped your mom?” Nathan asks in shock.
Sighing, I run a hand through my hair and roll to my stomach on my bed. “Yeah, she had it coming.” For over twenty years now.
“Geez.” There’s the sound of something popping in the background and when I listen closer, I can tell he’s cooking something.
“Yeah, it’s the way we are. I don’t want her here at all, but I can’t really keep the kids away from her, so here we are.” She gives me enough trouble as it and accuses me of keeping them from her. If I actually started I’m sure that I’d get calls from her lawyer.
I lower my voice, not putting it past the bitch to be outside my door, eavesdropping. “I hate it, but I need you guys to stay away while she’s here.” It’s easier to explain verbally without it coming off as rude. “She’s already looking for any little thing to take me back to court and I know if she finds out about us, she’ll find a way to twist what we have and it’s far too precious for her to be near.”
“I understand,” Nathan says softly but he doesn’t sound happy about it. I don’t blame him. “I’ll let Chase and Emmet know.” There’s a pause. “Maybe try not to slap her again?”
I laugh. “I’ll try.” There’s a knock on my door and I turn my head. “Alright, I’ve got to go. Bye, lo-” I stop the word before it can fully come out but my eyes widen and from the hitch of Nathan’s breath, I can tell he didn’t miss my slip up.
It was an accident.
“Bye,” I say hurriedly before hanging up, my heart pounding in my chest.
The last thing I meant to do was almost tell him I love him and definitely not when I have so much going on right now to even try to take the time and process it.
No, you don’t love him, you just like him and it was a simple slip up. I’m sure it happens all the time to people.
Sighing, I press my forehead into my mattress.
“Aunt Ivy!” The knocking resumes, a bit more persistent this time.
“Come in, Tanner.” I roll over and sit up as he walks in the door. There’s a smile on his face and his brown eyes are bright. When I’d picked him up from school and told him about his grandmother being here, he was a hell of a lot happier than I was.
“Grandma wants to know if you have any…” his face scrunches up, “consutable food?” He shrugs his shoulder slightly. “I think that was the word, but I’m not sure.”
I shake my head not able to contain my amusement at his confusion. “Consumable?”