Page 74 of Unlikely to Stay
“So he took offworkthat one day the clinic closed to help you?Wowzers…he must have it bad.”
CC rolled her eyes.“It’s not what it looks like.”
“Is it what Kelda thought it looked like?Because, the way I hear it, he was all up in your business the other night before I brought you two food.”
“She told me she wasn’t going to tell anyone!”
“She really didn’t tell.I just happened to overhear her conversation with Burt.Surprisingly, she kept her mouth shut and didn’t blab it to the world but don’t plan on it staying like that for long.You know she’s probably going to blackmail you like crazy.Now, you want to tell me what else is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“I see the sadness in your eyes.And Iknowthat sadness isn’t related to the hottie doctor in town who’s been helping you in your gym.I know whenever you’re sad, it’s usually because you’ve runoutof chocolate or you’ve had a runinwith your mom.”
Sadie knew about CC’s volatile relationship with her mother.Sadie was like a mother to Annie, CC, and Breckin.They had all waitressed at the café and had gone to Sadie many times for advice.Annie, not so much, because she had her granny.But to Breckin and CC, one with no mother and one who had to act as mother, Sadie was a lifeline.
“You’re right.Mom and I had a fight.We haven’t spoken since.She won’t answer my calls or texts, won’t answer the door when I knock.She even avoids me when she sees me in the grocery store.”
“When did that happen?”
CC sighed.“The first day Brant helped me in the gym.”
“That long ago?Why haven’t you told me yet?”
CC shrugged.“I don’t know.I guess I was just busy working on the gym—”
“And sucking face with Brant.”
CC rolled her eyes.“It only happened once!”
“Please don’t make it be the last time!That boy is too cute to go without kissing a nice girl.”
CC laughed.“Whatever, Sade.”
“I’m serious!Now, tell me what happened with your mom.”
“She tried to make me feel bad for not telling her Brant had volunteered to help me work on the gym.She wanted to help.”
“It had just happened!”
“I know,” CC said, swiping more color around Sadie’s temples.“But then she started in on me not talking to her at all.How I told Breckin and Annie stuff but not her.How she wasn’t my friend like they are.”
“That’s because she’s your mom.”
CC rolled her eyes.“I’m gladsomeoneunderstands!I finally got sick of it and told her how I really feel.”
Sadie gasped.“You didn’t.”
CC nodded.“I did.I can’t deal with it anymore.Every time I fight with her I have a serious case of stress diarrhea for about a week.She needs to realize how our relationship is.”
“I bet that went over like a lead balloon.”
“I tried to drown myself in my bubble bath in the hopes she’d disappear but I wasn’t lucky enough.”
“That bad, huh?”
“At least she quit asking me about Brant.She stomped out of my apartment.Who knows how long it will be before she talks to me again.After seeing her run from me in Swanson’s, I’m thinking I might have a normal Thanksgiving this year.”
CC’s mom would go through periods in life where she decided CC had wronged her in some way and wouldn’t talk to her.During her senior year, CC had gone prom dress shopping with Breckin, Annie, and Sophie, Annie’s granny.Her mom, pissed at CC for not going withher,wouldn’t take pictures for prom or help CC get ready.She had stayed at Annie’s farm for about a month and her mom hadn’t called to check on her once.