Chapter 16 #2
“I don’t mean for the long-term health of a relationship,” she assured him. “That requires emotional chemistry. However, if you can’t click physically right from the beginning, it’s a sign nothing else is going to fit together at a later date.”
“Wow.” Nathan’s expression was hard to read. “That’s an interesting path to choose.”
“I always taught her about safe sex,” Mom continued.
I slapped my hands over my face. “Mom.” I was exasperated.
“She’s still such a prude sometimes, even though I had a policy of open conversation in this house,” Mom explained.
“I brought condoms into the house when she was fourteen. I knew she wouldn’t be having sex at that point—she really was too much of a prude—but I wanted them around so she felt comfortable talking about them. ”
“She kept the same box in the house for years, until I was seventeen,” I said to Nathan. “That was the year I brought my first boyfriend home for Christmas dinner. Alex Withers.” I grimaced as I looked back on that night.
“I knew he was not her forever,” Mom volunteered. “He had a terrible aura. I wanted her to get the sex out of the way because I was convinced she would dump him right away.”
“She gave Alex a box of condoms and a plate of homemade brownies for Christmas,” I said to Nathan, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“Man, I’m trying to imagine what I would have done if my high school girlfriend’s mom gave me condoms and pot brownies for Christmas before I was out of high school.”
I frowned at him. “I didn’t say they were pot brownies.”
“They are in my head,” he replied, not missing a beat. “Also, when I use that scene in a book, pot brownies are going to be involved. I guarantee it.”
Mom didn’t look bothered. In fact, she giggled. “You write too? Is that how you met?”
Nathan nodded. “Bella and I have the same agent. We’re at a monthlong writing retreat—although we can come and go at our discretion—and we have some other friends we’ve been hanging with.”
“And you’re pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend?” Mom looked momentarily perplexed. “Tell me how that works.”
“Oh, well…” For the first time since sitting down, Nathan looked worried.
I patted his knee under the table, which sent sparks shooting up my arm. This crush was going to turn things awkward if I didn’t get a handle on it. But that was a problem for after this call.
“Mom, I promised to tell you the truth after… well, after what happened.” I lowered my eyes to regroup.
“After the goat scrotum hurt you so much,” she said darkly.
“Yes, well…” I took a deep breath. “Preston is here,” I blurted. “He weaseled his way into the event somehow. He’s positioning himself as an event promoter for authors. Nathan is pretending to be my boyfriend to keep Preston away.”
I was reminded of an avenging angel as something dark flashed in my mother’s eyes. “Are you kidding me? He’s there?”
I knew she wouldn’t like it. “Yes.” Embarrassment rippled through me. I’d caused all of this because I’d been dazzled by Preston’s social standing. What the hell was wrong with me? “I’m sorry.”
Nathan sent me a sharp look. “What are you sorry about, Bella? You didn’t do any of this. It’s all that jackass.”
“Language,” I said automatically, trying to lighten the mood.
He didn’t smile. “That guy is a predator, Bella. I know you don’t think he’s a physical threat, and I get where you’re coming from when you say that, but you’re not really seeing him.
He wants to hurt you. It’s not because he still cares about you and you only hurt the one you love or anything either.
“He’s mad you broke up with him,” he continued. “He thought he had complete control of you, and the fact that he didn’t is wearing on him. He was grooming you to take whatever abuse he heaped onto you and not say a word. That was his goal.”
“That was his goal,” Mom agreed. “It broke my heart seeing you with him, Bella. You didn’t even resemble the daughter I’d raised.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I never meant for any of that to happen.”
“Stop.” Mom’s warning was fierce. “You’ve apologized enough.
He made you think things that weren’t true, and I had no choice but to let you go through it alone because you weren’t going to listen to me if I told you the truth when you were in the thick of it.
I had to let you come out the other side on your own. ”
Shame filled me. “You must have wanted to slap me.”
“No, mostly I wanted to slap him.” Mom was deadly serious. “I couldn’t, though. I just had to wait it out. I knew I was getting close when you came to visit that night. You were ready to break up with him before you’d even found out what he’d been doing.”
I hadn’t admitted that to her when I’d been hunkering down in her house for weeks after, debating my next move. “You never said anything.”
“You didn’t either. I knew you would get around to it eventually.” Her gaze flicked to Nathan. “You’re a good friend to help her with this. I’m glad she has somebody.”
“He jumped in after he’d known me a grand total of five minutes,” I said, smirking. “He said he knew from the second he saw Preston that he didn’t like him.”
“Well, Preston has always been a goat scrotum,” Mom agreed.
Nathan cleared his throat. “Can someone explain this goat-scrotum thing to me? Is there something I’m missing? Because that’s a very specific insult.”
Mom shook her head. “In rituals—Wiccan rituals—a goat scrotum is often used for specific hexes. We put herbs and oils in it before sealing it.”
“Are these spells against men specifically?” Nathan guessed.
Mom’s eyes sparkled. “How did you know?”
“I took a leap,” Nathan replied. “I’ve researched a few Wiccan rituals for my books. I write horror.”
“Horror?” Mom’s eyebrows moved toward one another. “Wait, are you Nathan Cooper the horror author?”
Nathan nodded. “You’ve heard of me?” He looked especially delighted.
“Of course. Bella read your books on a nonstop loop when she left Preston. She was obsessed with them.” Her eyes shifted to me. “Oh, darling, you’ve paired up with your literary crush to dole out punishment to the goat scrotum. I’m so excited.”
I closed my eyes. Of course she’d just blurted that out. My mother had never met a situation she didn’t want to make uncomfortable. That was simply her way.
“Well, Mom, I just wanted to check in,” I offered, changing the subject. “I need to go, though. We have dinner in an hour.”
“Okay. Check in again in a few days. I want to hear how things are going with payback for the goat scrotum.”
I disconnected the call and refused to look at Nathan, even though I could feel his eyes pinned to me. “I’m going to freshen up for dinner. What do you think we’re having tonight?” I asked evasively.
“Something pretentious, I’m sure. At least the food is good, however bougie it is.”
“Yes, well, I’ll be ready in a little bit.” I skirted around him, my hand accidentally brushing against his chest.
Heat radiated off of him, and what I felt was more than just his natural body temperature. I was on fire, not that I would allow myself time to feel it.
“Just give me thirty minutes or so.”
Nathan didn’t say anything. I could feel his eyes on me all the way to the bathroom, though.
This was about to get messy. I could feel it. Unfortunately, I had no idea what to do about it.