Chapter Twenty-Nine
Katie
My mom and I were alone inside the pool house. After I’d overshared at the table, she’d marched over and grabbed my arm, hauling me inside one of the bedrooms and shutting the door. She was now sitting on the bed with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths.
“So, um, how much of that little monologue did you hear?”
“All of it.” She opened her eyes and lifted her chin. “Start explaining, from the beginning.”
“I met Cash the first night I was here. He was kind to me. He drove me home. After that we started hanging out, as friends, nothing more. I liked who I was when I was with him. He doesn’t see me the way I see me.”
“And how do you see you, Katie?” She still sounded pissed.
“Sheltered, boring. I see myself as some who has never truly lived.” I looked down at my lap, twisting my fingers together. “I don’t have any friends. You guys never gave me the option of public school. I’ve never dated.” I picked my head up, meeting her eyes. “You guys treat me like I’m going to disappear at any moment.”
“And yet we agreed to let you spend the week here, with people you haven’t seen since you were a baby.” She scoffed. “Obviously we made a terrible mistake.”
“No. No part of this week has been a mistake.” I filled my lungs with air, and with courage. “I met a boy, and we fell in love. I laughed and I danced. I made friends, and I got a tattoo.” I stood, lifting my dress to show her. “And you know what? The man who gave me this, tattooed my heartbeat on my dad’s ribs a few weeks before he died.” I dropped my clothes back in place. “I learned how to be on my own. I learned to stand up for what I want. I learned that I can make it. I can be without you guys. I can be without security and bodyguards.” I took her hands in mine. “I want to go to UCLA. I want to live my own life. And as much as I’d love your blessing, I don’t have to have it.” The Devil’s Spawn taught me that. They taught me that parents didn’t always know best, and you didn’t need their approval to be happy. “I have my own money, and I can do this on my own.”
“I’m at a bit of a loss here, Katie.” She rubbed her forehead. “I haven’t seen you in a week and then I arrive and the first thing I hear is a list of all the rules you’ve broken in the past six days? What am I supposed to say to all this?”
A large part of me wanted to back down, it truly did. Being with my mom, hearing her disappointment in me…it was stealing some of the strength I’d gained over the last week. I glanced out the window, taking in the people I’d come to know. Some of them I’d come to love. I shook my head, refusing to let go of the independence I’d found. “You could say that you missed me. You could say that you’re happy for me. You could say that you’d like to meet my boyfriend. You could say that you think my tattoo is awesome and you could say congratulations on getting into UCLA.”
“Katie.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Your father is going to be so upset with you.”
“You’re right.” I spared another look out the window. Cash was standing on the steps of the pool, his back to the house. “But, I’m eighteen. I’m moving out in August, and I’m in love with a boy that makes me laugh.” I drew my shoulders up, sending her a small apologetic smile. “So there isn’t too much that could bring me down at this point.”
She snorted and my eyes went wide.
“Are you laughing?” She did it again but covered her mouth with her hand, trying and failing to hold it in. “Mom?”
“I’m sorry. I keep picturing that cute boy who was holding your hand trying to tip a cow.” After she said cow, she lost the battle with her laughter.
I giggled. “It was pretty funny.”
She sobered a little. “Did you have sex with him?”
“The cow?” I wrinkled my nose and she swatted at my leg.
“You know what I mean, young lady.”
I did. And I was really dreading answering that question. I swallowed, making sure my voice was clear. Confident. “I did.”
“Oh, Katie.” My mom frowned, tears filling her eyes. Wow, her range of emotions today was vast. “Were you careful at least? Was he nice to you? Did he pressure you?”
“Yes we were careful, and yes he was kind.” I took her hands in mine, looking her right in the eye. “It doesn’t matter if I’m with Cash the rest of the summer, or the rest of the year, or the rest of my life. I’ll never, ever, regret being with him.”
She sagged a little, like she was suddenly exhausted. “I worry about you every second of every day, Bug. You and your brother are the only things that matter to me.”
“Mom.” I squeezed her hands. “It’s time to let go a bit.” I shook her hands, making her start to smile again. “It’ll be good for you, and it’ll be even better for me.”
“UCLA, huh?” She bit her lips together. “How much you want to bet that your dad takes surfing back up as a hobby?”
I threw my arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. “I missed you, Mom.”
“I missed you too, Bug.” She kissed my hair, and then held me at arm’s length. “Now, take me outside and introduce me to your adorable boyfriend.”
***
“Knock, knock.” I tapped on the side of Cash’s window. “See how that works?” I jumped, more falling inside his room than climbing gracefully like he always seemed to do.
“What are you doing here, baby? I thought you and your mom were having dinner at Uncle Dash’s.” He helped me to my feet then lifted me up. I crossed my ankles behind his back and he sat down on the edge of his bed.
“First of all, anything that your Aunt Lexi cooks should never be consumed by humans.” I took his ball cap off his head, placing it on mine backward. “Second of all, her and my mom opened a bottle of wine and she became real agreeable to me coming to see you.”
After they’d met earlier today, my mom had pulled me aside and pretty much given me her blessing. She’d adored Cash, and why wouldn’t she? He was handsome and hilarious. He was kind and chivalrous, and he was in love with her daughter.
“Think she’ll notice if you stay the night?” He placed open-mouth kisses against my collarbone.
“I think our sleepover days are behind us until you come to visit me at school.” I held my breath, afraid that he’d changed his mind. That UCLA was too far away and he didn’t want to try the whole long-distance thing. It’s not like I could really blame him, but if he loved me like he said he loved me…
“About UCLA.”
“I knew it.” I climbed off his lap, immediately close to tears. “I knew you’d think it was too far. It’s too far, right?”
He grinned, lunging for my hands and bringing me back to him. “It’s actually not that far.” I narrowed my eyes in confusion, because it was real effin far from Austin. Like real far. “Pepperdine is only like twenty-something miles from UCLA.”
My jaw dropped open. “What?”
He put his hands on my lower back, sliding them under my shirt. “I guess I’ve been too scared to talk about the future this week. I knew I was going out of state, and I was terrified you were headed to the east coast or something.” He unhooked my bra, making room to move his hands around to the front, palming my breasts. “I never in a million years would have thought you’d be gunning for UCLA.”
“So the only time we’ll have to be apart is while I finish out the Europe dates of my dad’s tour?” I was so happy, and so excited, that I felt giddy. I felt like I was vibrating, clichély high on love.
He brushed his thumbs over my nipples and I automatically ground against his hardening cock. “Actually, that was what I wanted to talk to you about last night. I did something a little impulsive.”
I rested my hands on his knees, arching my spine. “You mean other than falling in love with a stranger in a matter of days?”
“I went online and booked flights and hotels for all of your dad’s stops in Europe.”
My eyes flew open and I sat up straight. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. Then pinched both my nipples. “That okay?”
“Yes?”
His eyebrows rose. “Is that a question?”
I shook my head, smiling so big my cheeks hurt. “No. I’m so happy and surprised and so freaking in love with you.” I fisted his shirt in my hands. “I never thought my life could ever be this—”
“Crazy? Loud? Weird? Dramatic?”
“Wonderful.”
“Well, get used to it Katie Bug.” He winked before claiming my mouth, his tongue twisting as he took the kiss deeper.
He laid me down on his bed, threading his fingers with mine, holding my hands above my head. We stayed like that, two teenagers making out in a stolen moment. He didn’t try to take things any further, and I didn’t ask him to. After the whirlwind week we’d had together, it felt nice? to be…normal.
We left his bedroom door open, and we kept our clothes on.
Part of me hoped his dad would walk by and clear his throat, and we’d have to stop.
There was something to be said for growing up, but in my opinion, there was as much to be said for acting exactly your age.