Page 94 of Tongue-Tied
“And the book?”
“The one from when you were a kid fell apart.”
My heart blooms as big as the pink roses. “You’re the best.”
“Wanna read and snack while I make a run for some dinner?”
“Tacos from the pier?”
He reaches for his jeans. “Already on it.”
35
DEX
I’m with my boyfriend—damn, that’s heady to say—and we’re on our way to meet our friends at Shenanigans. Milo has already pounded on the door twice, and we’ve ignored him until he called out, “We’re leaving!”
We’ve been holed up in one of our rooms for the past couple of days, just getting used to the idea that we’re allowed to touch and kiss each other freely.
But also reassuring each other that our friendship is still intact and promising to keep it that way. It’s overwhelming to consider the alternative, especially since everything feels so right.
The weather is amazing, and the pier is crowded near the entrance. That’s when my phone rings.
“It’s my mom,” I tell Austin as we stop right outside of Shenanigans. I answer her video call. “Mom, I’m about to go into a bar. I’m with Austin, and we’re gonna do some karaoke.”
“Save me,” Austin calls to her with a laugh.
“You boys are too cute,” she coos like she always does. “You should have a marriage pact or something.”
“What’s that?” I ask as Austin smirks, likely knowing what Mom is talking about.
“Like from the movies,” Mom says. I must look confused because she explains, “It’s when two people agree to get married if they’re both still single by a certain age.”
“Seriously? That’s ridiculous,” I reply, and Austin rolls his eyes. That’s definitely something up for discussion in our future, but one day at a time. I don’t want him to think I’m gun-shy because of my mom, though. It’s just not anything I’ve ever considered for myself. But I never considered a boyfriend either, and look at me now.
“That’s also a popular trope in romance novels,” Austin points out.
“I wish real-life romance were that easy,” Mom muses. “Which…is the reason I called.”
I give Austin a look because I know where this conversation is headed, and there’s no chance in hell I want to hash it out now. “If you’re going to tell me you’re dating your boss and that he promised to leave his wife, I don’t think I can stomach it.”
“You’re right,” Mom says in a meek voice. “You’ve told me over and over again that I’m going about this dating thing all wrong and that I need to listen to my gut. I try to listen to it, but my heart keeps getting in the way, hoping this time it’ll be different.”
My frustration is only tempered by that optimistic lilt I’ve heard one too many times. And it always gets me, her blind trust that someone will finally stick around. Even though she’s looking at it all backward.
“So I was right. You are dating your boss.” When Austin gives me a warning look that I’m on the verge of being too harsh again, I soften my tone. “I hope it works out for you, Mom. I really do. But I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t stand by and listen to you choose people for all the wrong reasons.”
“I know, baby. I was ignoring my gut again, so this time, I decided to take my son’s advice.”
“What advice?” I start pacing.
“You said that the next time my boss hits on me, I should tell him it’s inappropriate and that he needs to stop.” She takes a breath. “So I did.”
“Holy shit, Mom!” I stop in my tracks and level a look at Austin. “That’s great. So what happened?”
“Did he respect the boundaries you set?” Austin asks as he throws me the fingers-crossed sign.
She sighs. “No, he didn’t, and that time, I did listen to my gut.”