24. Twenty-Four #2
Mom turned annoyed. “Of course, Wylie. You and Huxley are obviously in a serious relationship. He’s part of the family, even if I haven’t seen him in a very long time. Stop being weird.”
My shoulders slouched, and Huxley’s arm automatically came around my back. He wanted to protect me, but this was a battle I was going to have to wage on my own.
“We need to do this in a methodical manner,” she said to Mick. “You and Huxley have things to talk about. I need to deal with my girls. We’ll meet up again in a few hours.”
“That sounds good,” Mick said. He cast me a fond smile. “I’m glad for you guys. I always knew you would make a good match.”
I made a face. “You did not. He hated me when I was a teenager.”
“No, he didn’t.” Mick let loose a short laugh. “He had the same crush on you that you had on him. He just didn’t realize it. Boys take longer than girls to figure this stuff out.”
“You would know,” Mom said dryly, and they shared a significant look that threw me. There was more to what they were saying than I’d initially picked up on. “So, we have a plan?” she prodded when everybody fell into silence.
“Yes,” I replied. “Does Lucy know you’re coming?”
“Nope.”
“And how long are you staying?”
“Until Lucy is on track and you’re …” She looked over at Huxley. “Well, you appear to be on track. I’m going to want to hear the whole story, though.”
I broke into a wide grin. “It involves me swearing at him in Klingon.”
She smirked. “I’m not surprised in the least.”
IT WAS AWKWARD KISSING HUXLEY goodbye in front of my mom, but he seemed eager to have his conversation with Mick, and there were things I needed to deal with, so we had no choice but to separate.
Mom didn’t ask me a single question as we took the elevator upstairs. Because I couldn’t deal with silences that stretched on for too long, I started filling the gaps.
“What hotel are you at?”
“The Marriott on the river,” she replied.
“Oh, that’s a great hotel. Huxley and I had beer and shrimp at one of their restaurants one night. It was amazing.”
“I’ll take that into consideration,” she said dryly as I led her off the elevator and toward my apartment. “Was that on one of your dates?”
“No, it was before we started dating.” I tried to sound blasé, as if I didn’t have a care in the world, but I had never been that good of an actress.
“So, when you were still insulting him in Klingon?”
I paused in front of my door; the key clutched in my hand. “He’s a really good guy. I don’t know if that was all an act back there, but please don’t be mad at him.”
“He’s done nothing for me to be mad about.” Mom plucked the key from my hand and inserted it in the lock. “The only thing I’m mad about is you not telling me.”
I was hopeful this wasn’t going to go as poorly as I had initially anticipated. “Do you think Eleanor will be as easygoing about it?”
“Oh, definitely not.” Mom shoved me into the apartment.
Lucy, who was in the kitchen in front of the coffee maker, gaped when she recognized who was with me. “Oh, my,” was all she managed to say.
“Yes, she came to fix your life,” I said. “She caught Huxley and me eating doughnuts in front of the building.”
“Uh-oh.” Lucy looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Did you yell?” she asked Mom. “You didn’t pull his hair or anything, did you?
” She looked around. “Where is he? Please tell me you didn’t force them to break up.
They’re really good together. He absolutely adores Wylie.
It’s not fair to take him away from her. ”
Mom made an exasperated face. “I’m not an ogre, Lucy. I have no problem with your sister’s relationship with Huxley. From what I saw, they’re very cute. Almost gag-worthy, they’re so cute, actually.”
“Oh, they’re gross,” Lucy agreed. “They’re so happy, though. I don’t want anything to come between them.”
I gave her a fresh look. “Since when? You’ve been poking him since the minute you saw him again.”
“That’s just because I like irritating people.” She looked rueful. “I don’t have a problem with him. In fact, I like him.”
That was news to me. “Huh.”
“It seems you’ve been assuming things about both your sister and me,” Mom said pointedly. “You know what they say about people who assume things, don’t you?”
“Yes, Mother,” I muttered, hanging my head.
“Good, because we’re going to have a long conversation about all of this.” Her tone was pointed. “Then I want to hear every little detail about how this happened.”
She sounded as if she was smiling, and when I jerked up my head, I found she had a huge grin splitting her face. Hope welled inside of me. My mother was going to be an ally, not an enemy, in this process. I had never been more relieved in my life.
“First things first, though,” Mom said. “Lucy, you mentioned on our last phone call that you were considering college. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. We’re going to find the right college and track for you.”
“Today?” Lucy asked, horror washing across her face.
“Well, within the next few days,” Mom clarified. “I don’t want you picking the wrong field just because you’re feeling pressure. We’re going to figure it out, though.”
She took a deep breath. “Then I want to meet your girlfriend, Lucy. If she’s the sort who is going to derail you, I’m going to be mad.”
“She’s not,” I interjected. “She’s an author. Hayley Clifton. She’s extremely career-oriented, and she doesn’t put up with Lucy’s crap.”
“She doesn’t let me get away with anything,” Lucy agreed on a sullen scowl. “She’s so mean.”
“She sounds like an absolute delight,” Mom countered. “I can’t wait to meet her. We’re having dinner with Huxley tonight. Perhaps you can bring her.”
I liked the idea of taking some of the pressure off Huxley.
“Wait, so you’re not mad that she’s with Huxley?” Lucy pressed. “I thought for sure there was going to be a meltdown about that.”
She wasn’t the only one. “Me, too,” I admitted.
“Yes, well, I have nothing to melt down about.” Mom took a deep breath. “I think it’s time the two of you hear the story about how Mick and I ended up together. It’s bound to come up, especially when Eleanor hits town, which is inevitable.”
My stomach constricted. “You don’t think she’s coming now, do you?”
“I have no idea. We don’t exactly run in the same circles any longer.”
“Because you stole Mick from her,” Lucy said. “I’ve heard the story.”
“Not all of it,” Mom countered.
“I know the whole story,” I volunteered. “It’s a little different from what we’ve been told over the years.”
“You don’t know the whole story either,” Mom replied. She heaved out a sigh. “It’s time you do. Once Eleanor reenters our lives — and it will happen — a lot of things are going to be said. I want you to know the truth.”
Guilt reared up. “I’m sorry you have to go through this again,” I offered. “Because of me, I mean.”
“It’s not your fight, Wylie,” Mom insisted. “You deserve to be happy. I will deal with Eleanor.”
She made it sound so easy. There was just one little problem. “What if she won’t deal with you?”
“Then I’ll blow her pathetic little narrative right out of the water, and I’ll enjoy doing it.” Mom gestured toward the couch. “Sit down. It’s time I told you the whole truth.”
I padded toward the couch, uncertain. Just what was she about to tell us?