selfish dirt-wad—I think you called me that. You were right. So go, okay?”
CHAPTER 33
Totally bewildered, when I get
home, I march upstairs planning to ask my mom what Garrett was talking about.
What did he have to do with the divorce?
But Mom is in the shower—so
she dodged that bullet. For the moment.
As I turn to leave her room, her
cell phone rings. Normally I’d let it go to her voice-mail, of course. But it’s
probably my aunt. Mom’s been talking with her a lot lately, commiserating with
her about their recent divorces. I figure I’ll just let her know Mom is in the
shower.
But when I pick up her phone, I see
her messages from my aunt. She had texted her things like: “It wasn’t your fault.” “You
were in a vulnerable place.”
I scroll further down and almost
drop the phone from shock.
Oh
my gosh!!!!
Mom had slept with Garrett!!!
CHAPTER 34
Garrett winces when he sees me
sitting on his doorstep.
I choke out, “You slept with my
mom?”
He does a little groan-thing, like
he was afraid I was going to call him out on that. He nods slightly.
He glares up at the ceiling and
runs a hand over his face. “Look, when I had to move in your house, I was mad
about the situation. Mad about everything. I had this plan before I even showed
up there: I was going to seduce you—the beautiful, stuck-up cheerleader.
Seduce you and crush you—break your heart. But then I met you—and
you weren’t stuck-up. You were the total opposite of stuck-up. You were
innocent and sweet and had absolutely no idea you were beautiful.”
He stares into my eyes, “The most
beautiful thing I ever saw.”
The way he’s looking at
me—and the way he said that, so tender and sweet and sincere—my
heart actually starts to melt.
But it’s crazy!
Totally demented.
I look away, not wanting to be
hypnotized by his tender words and seductive eyes. I need to be strong …
because apparently I’m a total sap. (I mean, come on. He slept with my mom ! )
Garrett watches me a moment. Then
squeezes his eyes shut. He cagily goes on, “I had to make a new plan because
there was no way I could go through with the one I had—to seduce you,
then break your heart.” He draws out a painful breath, “So … I did it to my
dad’s new wife instead.”
CHAPTER 35
I stare at Garrett, barely able to
breathe. “You did it just to mess up their lives?”
“Look, they ruined my mom’s life. I
hate my dad for that. My mom was sweet—now she’s broken. He broke her,
and threw her away. I didn’t want him to be able to get away with that. Him
being all happy and her being hurt.”
His voice turns gentle. “Look, I’m
sorry now. I didn’t want you to get hurt or know anything about it. And I
actually like your mom, so I feel bad.”
I close my eyes, shuddering.
I know he’s not talking about
liking her—like liking her.
But my mom is gorgeous. Everyone
always thinks we’re sisters. Always. Everyone. They’re always shocked when they
learn she’s my mom. “But you’re so young!” they always gasp, then tease, “Did
you have her when you were eight?”
Actually, she had me when she was
eighteen. I was a “honeymoon baby.” She and Dad used to always tell me that.
Back when they were in love. And married.
And not insane.
Garrett is staring at me, seeming
to hold his breath, waiting for me to speak. When I don’t, he scrubs a hand
over his face. “ That’s why I moved
out. And why I tried to stay away from you. I felt bad about what I did. I
mean, it wasn’t nice—messing with your mom like that. I felt guilty.”
“Yeah, well, you should.”
He nods. “Man, Brandy—I do.”
He sounds so sincere my heart aches
a little.
I quickly get up before I start
falling for him again.
“Where are you going?”
“Away.”
To be darkly sardonic—that’s
the only reason—he says total deadpan, “According to Blake you owe me a
date.”
I turn
CHAPTER 33
Totally bewildered, when I get
home, I march upstairs planning to ask my mom what Garrett was talking about.
What did he have to do with the divorce?
But Mom is in the shower—so
she dodged that bullet. For the moment.
As I turn to leave her room, her
cell phone rings. Normally I’d let it go to her voice-mail, of course. But it’s
probably my aunt. Mom’s been talking with her a lot lately, commiserating with
her about their recent divorces. I figure I’ll just let her know Mom is in the
shower.
But when I pick up her phone, I see
her messages from my aunt. She had texted her things like: “It wasn’t your fault.” “You
were in a vulnerable place.”
I scroll further down and almost
drop the phone from shock.
Oh
my gosh!!!!
Mom had slept with Garrett!!!
CHAPTER 34
Garrett winces when he sees me
sitting on his doorstep.
I choke out, “You slept with my
mom?”
He does a little groan-thing, like
he was afraid I was going to call him out on that. He nods slightly.
He glares up at the ceiling and
runs a hand over his face. “Look, when I had to move in your house, I was mad
about the situation. Mad about everything. I had this plan before I even showed
up there: I was going to seduce you—the beautiful, stuck-up cheerleader.
Seduce you and crush you—break your heart. But then I met you—and
you weren’t stuck-up. You were the total opposite of stuck-up. You were
innocent and sweet and had absolutely no idea you were beautiful.”
He stares into my eyes, “The most
beautiful thing I ever saw.”
The way he’s looking at
me—and the way he said that, so tender and sweet and sincere—my
heart actually starts to melt.
But it’s crazy!
Totally demented.
I look away, not wanting to be
hypnotized by his tender words and seductive eyes. I need to be strong …
because apparently I’m a total sap. (I mean, come on. He slept with my mom ! )
Garrett watches me a moment. Then
squeezes his eyes shut. He cagily goes on, “I had to make a new plan because
there was no way I could go through with the one I had—to seduce you,
then break your heart.” He draws out a painful breath, “So … I did it to my
dad’s new wife instead.”
CHAPTER 35
I stare at Garrett, barely able to
breathe. “You did it just to mess up their lives?”
“Look, they ruined my mom’s life. I
hate my dad for that. My mom was sweet—now she’s broken. He broke her,
and threw her away. I didn’t want him to be able to get away with that. Him
being all happy and her being hurt.”
His voice turns gentle. “Look, I’m
sorry now. I didn’t want you to get hurt or know anything about it. And I
actually like your mom, so I feel bad.”
I close my eyes, shuddering.
I know he’s not talking about
liking her—like liking her.
But my mom is gorgeous. Everyone
always thinks we’re sisters. Always. Everyone. They’re always shocked when they
learn she’s my mom. “But you’re so young!” they always gasp, then tease, “Did
you have her when you were eight?”
Actually, she had me when she was
eighteen. I was a “honeymoon baby.” She and Dad used to always tell me that.
Back when they were in love. And married.
And not insane.
Garrett is staring at me, seeming
to hold his breath, waiting for me to speak. When I don’t, he scrubs a hand
over his face. “ That’s why I moved
out. And why I tried to stay away from you. I felt bad about what I did. I
mean, it wasn’t nice—messing with your mom like that. I felt guilty.”
“Yeah, well, you should.”
He nods. “Man, Brandy—I do.”
He sounds so sincere my heart aches
a little.
I quickly get up before I start
falling for him again.
“Where are you going?”
“Away.”
To be darkly sardonic—that’s
the only reason—he says total deadpan, “According to Blake you owe me a
date.”
I turn
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