Page 41 of Extraction Play
Chapter Sixteen
Pixie stared at her mother, not quite processing the two worlds colliding.
One moment, she was sitting on Nolan’s lap, enjoying the way Eva’s eyes glided over her. The next, her mother’s voice pierced through the coziness with razor-sharp precision.
Maisie’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she glanced among the group. “Are these your friends?”
Her insides rioted at the idea of introducing her mother to her family at Whipped. At having to explain her past and why she’d avoided talking about it for so long.
“Yeah, they are.” She hopped off Nolan’s lap, ignoring the intent looks burning into her. Her adrenaline pumped hard, like she needed to bolt out of here. “Who are you here with?” She guided Maisie away from her friends, not wanting them to intermix. Guilt crashed in next,especially when she saw the slight downturn of her mother’s eyes. The woman wasn’t ignorant, and she felt like shit for needing her worlds separate, but the space at Whipped was hers, something she’d carved out for herself.
“My coworkers,” Maisie said, pointing to a group of older women lounging on one of the other spots. “We decided to drive into the city tonight for an outing. We started at a painting studio and wanted to get some snacks afterward.”
Pixie’s mouth dried as her brain tried to come up with a solution of how to get out of this situation while keeping her divide intact. “That sounds fun. What sort of painting?” Her mouth moved on autopilot, latching onto the thing she knew best—art, not sorting through these intense emotions.
Maisie opened her arms. “Can I have a hug, or is that too embarrassing?”
Pixie exhaled with relief at the out her mother offered. She’d rather pretend this was a teenage phase than the complicated truth. “Of course.” She leaned into her mother’s hug, squeezing a little tighter because her guilt dripped through her in a steady stream.
When they separated, Maisie patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll let you get back to your friends. Come visit me soon?”
Pixie chewed on her lower lip. As much as she wanted, she couldn’t return to the ease she’d felt previously, not after that stir-up. Not with her mother sitting on the opposite side of the rooftop bar while Pixie struggled to keep the different parts of her life from colliding.
“Of course,” she said, realizing she froze there. “I’ll come over again for tea.”
Maisie offered a small smile, an undeniable sadness in her eyes. They both danced around the distance between each other, understandingwhile they couldn’t change the past, they could appreciate what they had now. “Have fun tonight, sweetheart.”
“You too,” she said and walked back to her friends. Everyone had returned to their conversations, but she caught a few quick glances in her direction. The one person whose gaze hadn’t abated was Eva. The woman stared at her with the same intensity as always, and a shiver rolled down Pixie’s spine. She couldn’t seem to hide from her, even when she wanted to.
Pixie stopped a few steps away. Did she want to return to Nolan’s lap, be the center of attention? The cozy, secure moment had been shattered, and she had no way of reclaiming it while her mother was still here.
Honestly, she just wanted to leave.
Eva beckoned her over with the crook of her finger, and Pixie almost gasped out loud in relief from that subtle command. She’d been paralyzed by the situation, but like always, Eva had paid close attention to her. Pixie approached, her shoulders tight as she braced herself for the barrage of questions sure to come her way.
“Want a sip?” Eva lifted her glass of dark beer in Pixie’s direction.
“Yes,” Pixie said, reaching out to accept. The first burst of the porter on her tongue gave a hint of relief. Sloan perched on Eva’s lap like a princess, daintily sipping away at his pink-colored drink.
“I could get you one of your own,” Eva offered, her dark eyes seeking.
“Don’t know how long I’ll be staying for,” she said, aware of where her mother sat on the other side of the bar. The way she’d acted made her feel like a piece-of-shit daughter. If she were normal, she could’ve introduced Maisie to her friends and enjoyed the rest of her night. Other people had fucked-up childhoods and managed to salvage their relationships with their parents, so what waswrong with her?
“Really, Pix?” Sloan said. “You just got here.”
Guilt flooded her. She had wanted to be here tonight for Nolan’s birthday. After feeling separate from everyone so much, she was desperate to join in with what would be a great night with everyone. Instead, she couldn’t relax—not with her mother sharing the same space.
How long she could last was questionable. She already sweated bullets.
“Did the lunch from earlier not settle right with you?” Eva asked, her dark gaze knowing, even as she fabricated an excuse.
Pixie offered a strained smile. “Yeah, my stomach’s in total distress.”
“Mine hasn’t been feeling great either,” Eva said, tapping Sloan on the side. “If you want company walking back to the apartment, I should probably join you.” Sloan took the cue and rose from his comfortable perch on her lap, and she stood.
Pixie threw her hands out in defense. “No, no, you stay here. Have fun with everyone. I’ll head home and curl up in bed.” The lie slipped out so smoothly she almost believed it. Her stomach tied in knots, but not from food poisoning.
“You guys aren’t feeling good? What the fuck did you eat in the fridge?” Micah asked, and Pixie internally groaned.