He puffs his barrel chest and storms out the door, slamming it so hard behind him it rattles the apartment windows.
I give myself five deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down, and then I make my way to the bedroom, where Irie is perched on the edge of my bed, fully dressed as she combs through her damp hair.
“What was that all about?” Irie asks.
“Nothing,” I say. “Just Mark being Mark.”
Chapter 35
Irie
I switch a load of clothes from Aunt Bette’s washer to her dryer Tuesday morning when my phone rings. A strange number flashes across the screen, but the area code is local. I’m tempted to answer it out of sheer curiosity … and I almost don’t …
“Hello?” I catch it on the final ring.
“Irie?” a woman asks.
“This is she …”
“Irie, hi, it’s Camilla,” she says with a chuckle in her voice. “Camilla Masterson. Talon’s mom …”
“Oh, yes! Of course,” I say. “Hi, how are you?”
I shut the dryer door and press the start button before leaning against the counter, phone pressed hard to my ear. I have no idea why Talon’s mom would be calling me out of the blue like this or what she could possibly want. His birthday is in July, so it isn’t that. Easter’s a solid month away, so I doubt she’s inviting me to some family dinner.
“I’m doing well, sweetheart,” she says. “I was just calling because I’m going to be in the area this week and I thought maybe the two of us could meet for brunch? Just a ladies’ thing?”
I’m speechless at first, then flattered. The fact that Talon’s mom wants to spend time with me solo makes me wonder if he’s told her how he feels about me. Maybe she wants to get to know me better?
“That’s really kind of you, Camilla,” I say. “I’m pretty free all week, so shoot me a text when you’re heading my way and we’ll make it happen.”
“Wonderful!” she says. “If not tomorrow, it’ll be the day after.”
“Sounds great.” I end the call, grab a basket of whites, and head to the kitchen to start folding.
“Well, hey there, stranger,” Aunt Bette says as she sorts the mail next to the microwave.
“Are you teasing me or guilt tripping me?” I ask. “Because I probably deserve both …”
I didn’t intend to become so joined at the hip with Talon.
I also didn’t intend to fall in love with him.
We’re in that stupid-in-love phase where you’re only thinking about each other, woefully addicted and barely alive until you get your next fix.
“Neither,” Bette says with a wink. “I’m happy for you, Irie. I am. And you’re still making time for all my chores and errands, so I’ve got nothing to complain about. It’s a little quieter around here, that’s all. Don’t let me hold you back. Can’t say I’d be doing it any different if I were in your shoes. Just glad to see you’re having fun for once.”
I fold a towel and place it aside. “You know … his mom just called me.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“She wants to do brunch … just the two of us.”
“She’s scoping you out,” Bette says.
“You think?”
She nods, brows lifted. “She must know her son is crazy about you, so she wants to get to know you a little better. It’s both a courtesy thing and a precaution.”
“Too bad she’s wasting her time,” I say, mumbling under my breath as I fold another fluffy towel. “Two more months and I’m going to Malibu and he’s going to Richmond.”
Bette sighs. “I’m sure this isn’t easy for you, but I just want you to know you’re doing the right thing. You might be head over heels for this guy right now, but the worst thing you can do is rearrange your entire future over someone you just met—and I say that as someone with far too much experience in that arena. One minute you’re turning down your third-grade teaching job to run off with a guy who looks an awful lot like a young Burt Reynolds and the next minute you’re managing a cockroach-infested strip joint.”
I know she’s right.
But it doesn’t stop me from wishing she was wrong.
Chapter 36
Talon
“Come with me,” I say Wednesday night as we lie naked in my bed in a quiet apartment that feels worlds away from reality.
“What? Where are you going?” she asks, sitting up a bit.
“Come with me to Richmond, I mean.”
She lies back down, settling against my shoulder. “Talon …”
“I’m serious, Irie. I can’t walk away from that contract … but I can’t walk away from you either. I know I’m being selfish, but I’m putting it out there. Come out east with me. We can start a life out there. We won’t have to say goodbye after graduation. We’ll pack our things in a U-Haul and—”
“Shh.” Irie places her finger over my mouth. “Let’s just enjoy the time we have, okay?”