Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jocelyn
Everyone is looking at me, and I blush.
“Well, did you two do the deed on our vacation or not? We need details and we need them now,” Roxy says as she holds her wineglass and leans forward.
It’s ladies’ night, and I’ve managed to keep whatever is happening between Hutch and me out of conversation for a full week.
One blissful week of work, school, re-writing my paper draft, and spending nearly every night at Hutch’s apartment.
When my mom questioned where I was going every night, I chickened out and made up some lame excuse that I was crashing in Roxy’s old apartment so I could focus on my paper.
Meanwhile, Hutch asked Kasen if he could try to track my dad down.
Kasen is in the middle of some projects at work, but promised he would search when he gets a chance.
Apparently, he had been waiting for me to ask ever since he helped find my dad’s family.
He had found a few leads while looking for relatives, but didn’t want to dig unless I asked.
Ever since meeting my father’s family, I’ve become more curious about finding him.
If anything, maybe I do want to at least have closure between us.
I haven’t seen anyone resembling my father in a week.
Thank goodness Hutch has kept me busy with other activities.
That man hasn’t been out to hunt for the secret flower person all week.
I feel like I’ve cured him of his obsession in less than seven days.
Who knew copious amounts of sex was all he needed?
I sigh and lean back in the chair by the window. “Fine, yes. We had sex,” I finally blurt out because there’s no point in lying to my friends.
“I knew it!” Cam said.
“Same,” Roxy says.
“I thought maybe you all just made out,” Piper says, her cheeks turning pink.
“I mean, we did at first,” I admit. “But then…well, one thing led to another…and…you know.”
“We have to know. Did he break you?” Cam asks.
I choke on the wine I just sipped. I hit my chest a few times, and once I stop coughing, I look back at Cam. “Are you serious?” I ask with a laugh.
Margie leans forward. “I mean, my dear, that man is the size of a small truck. We’re all worried for your lady parts.”
I think about how much time Hutch spends “getting me ready” every time we do have sex. And even then, it still burns a bit at first.
“I mean, yeah, he’s uh, really large…everywhere. But he’s a very considerate lover,” I say, fumbling for the right words to explain it.
“So is Kasen,” Piper says and then looks anywhere but at all of us.
Cam smirks and leans back. “Piper, tell us more about this.”
Piper giggles. “You know…he…you know,” she stumbles over her words.
“He fucks you with his tongue for an hour and then his fingers for another hour, and when you can’t possibly take it anymore, he finally eases in?” Cornelia asks.
Piper’s mouth falls open. “Aunt Cornelia!” she scolds.
Cornelia cackles, and then Margie starts laughing, and pretty soon, we are all in hysterics.
“To the men of one-eleven Hearts Lane,” Carly says, raising a glass.
We cheers, and Cam looks over at her. “We need to get you a man.”
Carly waves her off and sips her wine. “I don’t have time for that. Been there, done it, not interested.”
Roxy raises one eyebrow. “Not even in sexy doctors?”
Carly rolls her eyes. “We are just friends. Always have been, always will be.”
“I was just friends with Hutch,” I point out.
She shakes her head. “That’s different. You all just met a few months ago and have had massive crushes on each other the entire time.
Bray and I were friends from day one. He was even dating someone when I first moved in, and I wanted nothing to do with men.
He’s my best friend and the greatest uncle ever to Ava. ”
I glance at Roxy, Cam, and Piper, and I know we are all thinking the same thing. Deep down, Carly absolutely has the hots for Bray. She’s just too scared to open her heart again.
“Well, if you ever change your mind. You’re welcome to our toy bin,” Margie says.
Jessa stares at her. “Toy bin?”
“Please tell me that you don’t have a bin of toys, like adult toys,” Piper whispers, her eyes widening as she speaks.
“Oh, honey, of course we do. It’s in the hall closet,” Margie says as she gets up, and in unison, everyone but Cornelia screams, “No!”
She stops and turns to us. “What? You know, for a bunch of young women, you are certainly prudish,” she says as she sits back down.
Cam looks around. “OK, fine, but I swear to God, if you pull out used butt plugs, we are leaving.”
Piper’s face morphs into a look of horror. “I think I draw the line at seeing my aunt’s sex toys. I’m off to bed. Goodnight, ladies,” she says as she hurries from the apartment.
“I’m with Piper. And honestly, I’m too old for that shit,” Jessa says.
“Pish posh, you’re never too old, look at us,” Cornelia retorts.
“You know what, let’s just skip this altogether, and we will just imagine what’s in there. Also, it is getting late,” Cam revises her idea, and I think it was the butt plug thing that pushed her in that direction.
“Yeah, I need to write a chapter in my paper. Goodnight,” I say as I stand.
“Use lube! Lots of lube,” Margie calls out as I leave.
She’s not wrong about that. Maybe I should pick some up.
* * *
I’m finally at home. I needed to get some books that I’d left in my room. I hear the front door open.
“Val?” Mom calls out. “I’m home.”
“It’s me, Mom,” I say as I rifle through my drawers.
She pokes her head into my room. “Well, if it isn’t my long-lost daughter. To what do we owe your appearance?” she says.
I roll my eyes. “I’m looking for a book. I can’t remember if I left it here or at Roxy’s.” Which isn’t a lie. I did have it a few weeks ago at the bookstore.
I set the pile of papers I just grabbed from my desk on my bed and turn to my mom. I’ve been wanting to talk to her, but we’ve both been busy these past ten days.
She comes in and sits next to me on my bed. “So, we haven’t really talked much about you meeting dad’s family. I’m so glad you were able to find them and that you have them.” She frowns. “I just can’t believe he pretended they didn’t exist. For all these years.”
“Well, it sounded like they had quite the fight, and Dad’s stubborn, or at least I think he was,” I say, attempting to think about how my dad was the few times I remember hanging out with him.
Mom wraps an arm around me. “I have a confession,” she says.
I pull back and look at her. “You knew about his family?” I ask, feeling anger boiling in my belly.
She shakes her head. “No. I truly didn’t know that, or I would have made sure to keep you girls in touch with them.” She lets out a long breath. “I spoke to your father recently.”
I jump up and look down at her. “When?”
“I was coming home from work, and I swore I saw him. I called out his name, and he turned.” She gives a bitter laugh. “You’d have thought he saw a ghost. Anyhow, we chatted for a few minutes. And then he said he had to go.”
“Where? When exactly? What did he say?” I rattle off questions as they fire in my brain.
“Calm down, Joc. Sit. And I’ll tell you everything,” she says as she leans back against the wall, her legs sticking out in front of her, her fingers twisting together in her lap.
I slowly sit down and cross my arms.
She sighs. “Dad and I…it was really intense when we met. Like, we fell hard and fast, and then you came soon afterward. Things had already started to cool between us by the time Val was born. And then one day, he said he couldn’t take it anymore, he felt trapped.
So, I let him go. We got divorced, and as you know, he tried to play dad for a few years, but it got to be less and less and then no time at all with you girls.
That’s when I moved us here to the city.
I wanted to have a clean start. And it’s been good, hasn’t it? ”
She searches my eyes, and for the first time, I imagine everything through those blue-green eyes, everything she’s been through. My heart starts to ache for her.
“Mom,” I start.
Her eyes well with tears, and she shakes her head.
“I’m sorry, my love. I’ve tried.” She clears her throat.
“Anyhow, it was a few weeks ago, maybe two or three, right before your trip. He said he was back in the area, and he was trying to get himself settled before reaching out. He had looked us up. Val’s social media account is public, so he found her first, and then he found the school I’m at next.
” She laughs bitterly. “He couldn’t find you for the longest time, but eventually found your book vlog.
I gave him my number and said to call me first when he sorted himself out.
He’s staying somewhere close to the bookstore, I think, based on what he said.
He’s doing some contract work not far from us. And that’s all I know.”
I take a moment to comprehend her words. I’m not crazy. He is here. But where exactly?
“He didn’t give you any details?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No. He just said he needed more time and that he really did want to reconnect with you girls. For what it’s worth, I believe him.
He seemed…different. I wanted to wait till we had a moment like this before I told you.
I didn’t just want to drop that on you out of the blue.
I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner.”
I want to be mad at her, to yell at her, but she’s right. I wasn’t in the headspace for this information before now.
“You seem…calmer, happier,” Mom adds.
I nod. “I have to tell you something,” I say, deciding that I can’t be mad at Mom for withholding information because so am I. “I’m seeing someone.”
Mom laughs and pats my arm. “Oh, love, I know. I’m assuming it’s that Hutch you talk about all the time?”
My eyes widen. “How’d you know?”
She grins. “Call it mom intuition.”
I lean over the pile of papers between us and hug her. “I love you, Mom,” I whisper.
“Love you too,” she replies as she rubs my back. I don’t know if I’ll see my dad again, but at least I have her, Val, Hutch, and all my friends on Hearts Lane.