I look at the time, sighing. I’m standing in my kitchen, making tea and talking to my mother over speakerphone. My mother is rattling on about how no one in her book club even reads the books.

I’m hardly listening though. My head is with Jameson, focusing on where he is right now. At this moment, he’s probably sitting in a sterile-looking classroom, taking the GED. He’s been stressed about it for the last few days, even though he didn’t say so.

I know that he’s smart and capable no matter what, but I need him to pass this so that he knows it too. I dunk the teabag in my mug, sighing again.

“Emmaline, are you even listening?” my mother scolds. Her voice coming through the speakerphone is tinny.

I straighten my spine. “Uh, yeah. Definitely.”

“I just asked you whether or not you’re coming to the Labor Day party that your father and I throw every year. I think there will be a lot of eligible guys there…”

I clear my throat. “We talked about this, mother. You aren’t allowed to set me up with your friend’s kids anymore. Not after what happened last time.”

She scoffs. “Rich was just a one time thing. I promise you, there are a ton of other eligible men.”

“I’m dating someone else, as I have repeatedly told you.” I let a note of frustration creep into my voice.

“Darling, I just want to see you find the person you’ll eventually marry. I’m sure that whoever you’re seeing is perfectly nice, but I assume he is lacking in the pedigree department. And pedigree counts more and more as you get older.”

I roll my eyes. “You have no idea what kind of person I’m dating. You don’t even know what I like.”

“Emmaline,” my mother sighs. “If he was really that great, you would have brought him to meet me already. That’s a fact.”

I’m taken aback by her words. Is that true? Have I been hiding Jameson from her intentionally?

“I’m just… not ready to introduce you into his life yet. You’re a handful, mother.” That statement is mostly true, too.

My mother’s voice grows snippy. “Oh, please. You’re just worried that your new beau won’t live up to my standards. You think that you can just live in your happy little bubble, and not interact with the people who really matter in your life.”

“What? I’m sorry, but I fail to see what exactly you are saying.”

“I’m saying that the fact that your father and I don’t talk to your big brother might have led you to believe that you are just going to live your life any kind of way, without repercussions. But we both know that when it comes down to what matters — when it’s about money — you don’t where you get your bread buttered. I didn’t raise you to be a stupid girl, Emmaline.”

I am absolutely floored by her words. I’m glad that she’s just on the phone and not here in person, because I’m sure I have the bitterest look on my face.

“I should really go,” I say, trying to keep the rage out of my voice. “It is always nice to talk to you, mother.”

“Emmaline—”

I disconnect the call, my fingers shaking. I can’t believe her, I really can’t. I’ve really never thought about how dependent I am on my family’s money before, but my mother made it perfectly clear that she has no problem using money as a chain to bind me to the family’s side.

My mother seems to assume that I will automatically bend to her will as soon as she cracks the whip, even if that means dating someone she approves of.

What the hell am I supposed to do with that? I have to do something soon to let her know that I’m not going to be cowed… I just don’t know what exactly to do.

My phone vibrates. When I check it, there’s a message from Jameson.

Done and on my way to you, it says.

I blow out a shaky breath. I dump out my now-cold tea in the kitchen sink, focusing on getting myself dressed and ready. After all, Jameson is going to come home, and I want to celebrate with him. It’ll probably be awhile before he gets his test results, but today was a really big deal for him.

I put on a white cotton sundress, figuring it isn’t even going to be on my body for long. I have a ton of thoughts swirling around inside my head right now, but I need to put them aside. Right now, I just need to focus on supporting my boyfriend.

When I hear the front door open, I pop my head out of my bedroom. Jameson is grinning from ear to ear, pouncing on me. I squeal as he picks me up for a kiss, spinning me around. His kiss is sweet and slow and heated.

When I pull back, I look up at him with a smile. “Are you excited about the GED being over, then?”

He kisses me again, nodding. “That’s one of the things I’m excited about.”

I giggle as he carries me backward into the bedroom, collapsing on the bed, cradling me in his arms. “Is there something else to celebrate?”

Jameson kisses my collarbone, working his way down to my cleavage. At the same time, he shifts his weight onto the bed and slides his hand up my outer thigh. “Yep. Two things. Well… three.”

“And what are those three things, exactly?”

I bite my lip as his hand continues its exploration up my skirt, toying with the hem of my panties. He pulls his head back to look at me.

“One, you’re wearing this dress, and looking like you do. If that’s not a reason, I don’t even know what would be.”

I smirk. “Yeah, all right. What else?”

“Well…” he says, reaching over to brush my hair back from my neck. He places a chaste kiss there, but his scruffy beard scrapes against my skin lightly, making me shiver. “I made an offer on the house yesterday morning… and today, I heard back.”

I sit up, suddenly alert. “Wait, you made an offer? What did they say?”

Jameson’s face splits into a grin. “They said yes. You are looking at a home owner.”

I fling my arms around his neck and hug him, smiling so hard that it practically hurts. “Oh my god! That’s amazing news!!”

“Yep. We have a standard thirty day closing period, and then I get the keys. So I’m pretty excited about that.”

“Uh, yeah,” I say, pulling back to look at him. “You’re going to be a home owner!! Congratulations!!”

He smiles a little sheepishly. “Thanks. Taking the GED, buying a house… it feels like the direction I want my life to be going.”

“I am so, so proud of you.” I beam at him. “Really, so proud. I’ll get to introduce you to people as my boyfriend AND a home owner. ‘I’m sorry, have you met my homeowning boyfriend?. He’s great.’”

“Only if I get to call you my law school girlfriend. You know, to make things even.” Jameson slips a finger under the strap of my dress, tugging it down my shoulder.

“Mmmm,” I murmur. “Wait, but isn’t there a third thing you should be celebrating? Whatever that news is, I can’t wait to hear it.”

He looks at me mischievously. “You’re going to have to wait a little while. But I promise, it will be worth it.”

The look in his eyes promises more than that. I blush, which feels utterly ridiculous after all that we’ve been through together.

“Are you sure?” I ask, linking my fingers with his. “I mean, you don’t have to wait on my account, is what I’m saying.”

He grins. “I promise, it will be worth it when I finally tell you.”

Before I can say another word, he strips my panties off of my legs and claims my mouth with his.