boyfriend.”
“Yet.”
“I don’t know. He’s a good guy but…” I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Sounds like there’s a juicy story there,” she said with a knowing wink.
“Maybe another time. Maybe over Sunday dinner.” I bit my lip, carefully choosing my next words. “Mom, I have to talk to you about something.”
She sat at my desk, her worried mom-face on. “What is it?”
I took a deep breath. “I need to move out.” Guilt stabbed me in the gut at the hurt in her eyes, but I knew I could hurt her ten times worse if I stayed. “I think it’s time.”
“Is something wrong? Did something happen?” she asked.
“No, nothing like that,” I said quickly. “It’s just… we always talked about me moving out when I turned twenty-one. And with Jake here, I figured you’d be okay without me.”
She stood up, a pained expression on her face as she reached for my hand. “I’ll never be okay without you.”
I smiled even as tears pricked my eyes. “I’m not getting any younger,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
That got a chuckle out of her. “Yeah, you’re so old.” She squeezed my fingers. “But if you really want to go, I’ll support it.”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Fine,” she said, wiping at her cheek. “Just give me a few weeks to get used to it first.”
I swallowed. I didn’t know if we had that kind of time before shit hit the fan, but what could I do? “Okay.”
“Let’s talk about your birthday party instead.”
“Not that again.”
She let out a watery laugh, hugging me. “I’m just talking about dinner reservations. No big parties. Promise. Just you, me, Jake, and if you want, Eli.”
A s luck would have it , Mom had to leave for a two-day trip the day of my birthday, leaving me with Jake and Eli at the Blue Moon Fish Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. At least the place had a trendy, rowdy atmosphere to mask my anxiety that verged on outright panic. How the hell was I going to get through dinner, sandwiched between the guy I was sleeping with and the guy I wanted to sleep with?
“Nice view,” Eli said, admiring our waterfront table on the patio.
Jake looked over at me across the candlelit table, looking so good in a dark blue button-down shirt that highlighted the color of his eyes. “It’s a pity your mom can’t be here.”
“Yeah. She’s already texted me ten times, apologizing.”
“Why did you come?” Eli asked him. “I mean, you’re her mom’s boyfriend, so you technically don’t need to be here.”
Jake raised an eyebrow, sensing the challenge in Eli’s tone. “Because I promised I’d be here.” His eyes met mine across the way. “And because I care about Jocelyn.”
Eli scooted his chair closer to me and slung an arm across the back of my chair. “That’s why I’m here.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Still, I’d be lying if I said a part of me wasn’t enjoying the testosterone slinging just a little.
Luckily the waiter chose that moment to deposit a bright blue drink in front of me. Blue again, the color of Jake’s intense gaze.
“Um, this isn’t mine.” I attempted to give it back, even if the drink looked appealing.
Jake sat up. “It’s from me. Your mom asked me to get you twenty one drinks.”
My eyes widened as I eyed the drink. He chuckled at my reaction. “I figured I’d start with one and see where you go from there.”
“Well, thanks.” I took a sip and immediately went in for another. It was delicious and was definitely needed. Before I knew it I’d downed more than half the drink and, because of my empty stomach, quickly felt a buzz.
“I’m ready for number two,” I told Jake, then snickered. “The drink, I mean.”
Jake’s eyebrows drew together. “So soon?”
“Can we get another?” Eli said to the waiter, pointing to my empty glass.
It took exactly two of those blue concoctions to make dinner bearable. Still, it didn’t make me less aware of Jake’s disapproving glare as
“Yet.”
“I don’t know. He’s a good guy but…” I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Sounds like there’s a juicy story there,” she said with a knowing wink.
“Maybe another time. Maybe over Sunday dinner.” I bit my lip, carefully choosing my next words. “Mom, I have to talk to you about something.”
She sat at my desk, her worried mom-face on. “What is it?”
I took a deep breath. “I need to move out.” Guilt stabbed me in the gut at the hurt in her eyes, but I knew I could hurt her ten times worse if I stayed. “I think it’s time.”
“Is something wrong? Did something happen?” she asked.
“No, nothing like that,” I said quickly. “It’s just… we always talked about me moving out when I turned twenty-one. And with Jake here, I figured you’d be okay without me.”
She stood up, a pained expression on her face as she reached for my hand. “I’ll never be okay without you.”
I smiled even as tears pricked my eyes. “I’m not getting any younger,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
That got a chuckle out of her. “Yeah, you’re so old.” She squeezed my fingers. “But if you really want to go, I’ll support it.”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Fine,” she said, wiping at her cheek. “Just give me a few weeks to get used to it first.”
I swallowed. I didn’t know if we had that kind of time before shit hit the fan, but what could I do? “Okay.”
“Let’s talk about your birthday party instead.”
“Not that again.”
She let out a watery laugh, hugging me. “I’m just talking about dinner reservations. No big parties. Promise. Just you, me, Jake, and if you want, Eli.”
A s luck would have it , Mom had to leave for a two-day trip the day of my birthday, leaving me with Jake and Eli at the Blue Moon Fish Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. At least the place had a trendy, rowdy atmosphere to mask my anxiety that verged on outright panic. How the hell was I going to get through dinner, sandwiched between the guy I was sleeping with and the guy I wanted to sleep with?
“Nice view,” Eli said, admiring our waterfront table on the patio.
Jake looked over at me across the candlelit table, looking so good in a dark blue button-down shirt that highlighted the color of his eyes. “It’s a pity your mom can’t be here.”
“Yeah. She’s already texted me ten times, apologizing.”
“Why did you come?” Eli asked him. “I mean, you’re her mom’s boyfriend, so you technically don’t need to be here.”
Jake raised an eyebrow, sensing the challenge in Eli’s tone. “Because I promised I’d be here.” His eyes met mine across the way. “And because I care about Jocelyn.”
Eli scooted his chair closer to me and slung an arm across the back of my chair. “That’s why I’m here.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Still, I’d be lying if I said a part of me wasn’t enjoying the testosterone slinging just a little.
Luckily the waiter chose that moment to deposit a bright blue drink in front of me. Blue again, the color of Jake’s intense gaze.
“Um, this isn’t mine.” I attempted to give it back, even if the drink looked appealing.
Jake sat up. “It’s from me. Your mom asked me to get you twenty one drinks.”
My eyes widened as I eyed the drink. He chuckled at my reaction. “I figured I’d start with one and see where you go from there.”
“Well, thanks.” I took a sip and immediately went in for another. It was delicious and was definitely needed. Before I knew it I’d downed more than half the drink and, because of my empty stomach, quickly felt a buzz.
“I’m ready for number two,” I told Jake, then snickered. “The drink, I mean.”
Jake’s eyebrows drew together. “So soon?”
“Can we get another?” Eli said to the waiter, pointing to my empty glass.
It took exactly two of those blue concoctions to make dinner bearable. Still, it didn’t make me less aware of Jake’s disapproving glare as
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