Zeke covers his face and slides off his chair to the ground. My jaw drops down. I push it closed and then wave. “Hey, Ms. Moore.”
Ms. Moore looks distressed. Like she ate an entire cat distressed. “You promised you would wait,” she whimpers.
“We did,” I hustle to say. “We waited until her birthday. I swear we never broke our promise. And she was ready. She wanted us—”
A large hand slaps my mouth shut. Zeke has reappeared. “Ms. Moore, what Levi is trying to say is that we did hold off until Olivia told us she was ready.”
“She’s just a baby. She doesn’t know if she’s ready,” Ms. Moore snaps.
This is not going how we planned. How do we explain to Ms. Moore that Olivia was ready without going into the shit that has gone down on campus? Or how Olivia has basically bossed us around since the moment she’s gotten here? Or how if we hadn’t given in on her birthday, she would’ve raked us across the coals?
I look at Zeke, who is supposed to be the smart one, but he’s at a loss for words.
“I am ready,” says a clear, high voice from behind us.
Zeke and I turn at the same time to see Olivia dressed in a beautiful white satin robe we bought her sweep across the bedroom floor and push her way between us.
“Hey, Mom.” She smiles.
CHAPTER13
Olivia
My smile istight as I try to cool the simmering anger inside of me. Mom and I have always been close. I don’t know why I bother with the fake smile when she reads my eyes easily. It has always been her and me. Until the twins, that is.
“Livvie Bell.” Her tone is soft. I can tell she’s not sure how to handle me. To be honest, I’m not sure how to handle this either. Being mad at my mom isn’t something I’m used to. I never went through those rebellious teen years like everyone else. I saw how hard she worked to keep a roof over our heads and I made sure I did was I was supposed to. I went to school, made good grades and kept myself out of trouble.
I’ve always done what was expected of me. I never wanted to make anything hard because my mom was a great mom and I wasn’t going to make life difficult, even when I didn’t agree with something she said. Life was tricky enough without added complications. I learned that since leaving home.
I look at her face, so much like my own. “I’m not going to fight you, too, Mom.” I watch as her eyes widen for a moment. “We’ll have enough of our own battles in life. You’re my mom. My team Wonder Women,” I remind her. It’s a silly thing we used to call ourselves. We’d grown up as just that, a team. I want us to always be like that, but I’m no longer willing to sacrifice my happiness for it. Gosh, it’s been a few years since we called ourselves that silly but significant name. My eyes flick over to my men and my heart squeezes. I’m now a part of another team with my men, but I still want the Wonder Women. My mom brought me up to be who I am today and I need her support now more than ever.
When I look back to the screen, her eyes are brimming with tears. “Mom, don’t cry.” My own eyes fill, too. I try to fight it, knowing it will get everyone worked up. “We’ll always be our team, but I’m not a little girl anymore. You wanted me to find myself. Here I am, telling you I found it.”
Her shoulders drop. She’s taking in what I’m saying. “You are the best mom I could have asked for. Scratch that, you were the best mom and dad I could’ve asked for. You made me strong. You should not only have faith in my ability to make the right choice but believe that you raised me right. You should know that I’m picking what I want because you’ve crafted me into a strong woman.” I want her to see that she is a part of this. I need her at my side and don’t want to go through life without her approving of one of the most important journeys I will undertake. I will do it without her blessing if I have to, but I don’t want it to be that way between us.
“We stand together, Mom,” I remind her.
“Always together.” She nods in agreement. She lets out a long sigh and I know she’s finally getting it. “I know you’re right, Livvie Bell. I also know those men will take care of you. Sometimes I forget you’re not a girl anymore. Looking at you right now reminds me you’re a woman now. You haven’t been gone long, but you have blossomed so much. I see it all over your face.” She smiles. “You’ll still always be my little girl.”
“Always plan to be,” I respond instantly. “I’ll always need my mom.”
“And I’ll always be here.” This time I can’t fight the tear that slips free. I go to wipe it away, but Levi beats me to it as Zeke pulls me into his lap and kisses my neck.
“Baby.” Levi leans over, kissing the remainder of my tears away. I forget for a moment our moms are watching us. My eyes fly back to the screen and they’re smiling.
“You’re living there, aren’t you?” Mom raises her eyebrow at me. My cheeks warm. Not only because of what that implies but because I feel Zeke’s hard cock pressed against my ass. I fight the urge to shift in his lap. Levi pulls back from nuzzling me like he also forgot that our moms are watching us.
“Kinda,” I admit. I’m not telling her about my dorm room. It would only worry her, and besides I’m choosing to stay here. I was going to start staying there even before the room was destroyed. I make my own choices and rules now. Others can try and enforce and say what they want, but I’m not letting that affect my happiness anymore.
I’ve found myself. I see that the world can be a mean place, but it’s a whole lot easier when you have the people you love around you. The world is also a wonderful place that gave me a great mom, two men to love me and a new friend in Erika.
“And they haven’t asked you to marry them? Do those boys not realize what they have?”
I laugh. Her teasing breaks all the tension in the room. She was always good at making me feel lighter and loved.
Both Levi and Zeke act offended at my mom’s joke. I’m pretty sure it’s not an act, though. I raise my chin smugly. “Nope.” I scrunch my nose in contemplation. “Does that make me single?” I smirk, confident in the knowledge that I know every single one of my men’s buttons and when to push them.
“Motherf—”