it is!” I continued, relentless. “You failed in life. You had a failure of a marriage with Bryan, and you failed when you had me at eighteen! I don’t want to be like you.” Even as I said each word, they wounded me, cutting deep.
“That’s enough!” Mom yelled, breathing heavily. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! I did not fail in life. The best thing about my life is you, Ashton. The day you were born, was the day I won.”
Mom’s expression was pained as she turned around and stormed back inside. In seventeen years, she had never once raised her voice at me. I deserved it though. I’d said horrible things to her; things that I had no right to say. I was a petty, pathetic person and now my mom hated me too. And I deserved it.
Falling back down on the step, I sucked in deep breaths but couldn’t hold my tears at bay. My entire body racked with sobs at my failure of a life. I had ruined my chances of being the most popular girl in school. I would never date Oliver Carson. I had lost my best friend.
The thing that cut me the deepest was the way my mom had looked at me before she’d left. The look on her face made my chest ache. My mom had lost all respect for me and I didn’t know if she would ever get it back.
Chapter Eight
Luca
I was almost home from Riley’s and had just rounded the corner into my street when I saw Ashton and her mom getting out of their car. As much as I liked her mom, I didn’t want to run into Ash after what she’d done today. That girl gave me a migraine. If I’d driven, I could’ve just pulled into my driveway and slipped inside, but Riley’s house was only two blocks away and it seemed pointless driving there when it was just as easy to walk.
I slowed down, playing with the guitar pick in my pocket. It’d been the very first guitar pick I’d ever gotten. My dad had bought it for me and I’d always kept it on me for good luck. It seemed kinda silly, but it made me feel as though a part of him was still with me.
Stopping outside the West’s house—which was two houses down from mine—I tried to scope out whether or not Ash and her mom had gone inside yet. There was no sign of them.
I ducked behind the West’s hydrangea bush when I saw Ash’s mom walk back out again. Ash peeled herself away from the car and disappeared from sight. Since I couldn’t see her mom either, I assumed they were sitting on their front step.
Damn it! I’d almost let them see me! I had to be more careful. Now was probably the best time to go inside. My fence and their car were blocking me from their view.
I stopped on my lawn. Raised voices were coming from next door and I realized that Ash and her mom were fighting. Curious, I approached the fence that divided my house from Ash’s and saw Ash and her mom stand up. Quickly, I bent down before they could see me. Their voices were louder now and I could finally hear what they were saying.
“…face what people are saying about you! You’re giving me a lecture when you can’t even deal with your own issues!” Whoa. Ash was being pretty rude to her mom. I’d never dare speak to Momma like that.
“That’s enough!” Ms. Summers yelled. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! I did not fail in life. The best thing about my life is you, Ashton. The day you were born, was the day I won.”
Wow. That was some powerful stuff. I wonder what Ash had said to get that reaction out of her mom.
A second later their front door slammed shut. I wasn’t sure who’d gone inside until I heard loud crying that pierced my insides. It was Ashton.
I hadn’t heard her cry like that since my dad had passed away. Hearing those heart-wrenching sobs reminded me of the little girl I’d been best friends with. The time when her Gramps had died, and she’d cried like that, I’d wrapped my arm around her and she’d let all those tears out. I hadn’t let her go until she’d let every last drop out.
Once I was sure
“That’s enough!” Mom yelled, breathing heavily. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! I did not fail in life. The best thing about my life is you, Ashton. The day you were born, was the day I won.”
Mom’s expression was pained as she turned around and stormed back inside. In seventeen years, she had never once raised her voice at me. I deserved it though. I’d said horrible things to her; things that I had no right to say. I was a petty, pathetic person and now my mom hated me too. And I deserved it.
Falling back down on the step, I sucked in deep breaths but couldn’t hold my tears at bay. My entire body racked with sobs at my failure of a life. I had ruined my chances of being the most popular girl in school. I would never date Oliver Carson. I had lost my best friend.
The thing that cut me the deepest was the way my mom had looked at me before she’d left. The look on her face made my chest ache. My mom had lost all respect for me and I didn’t know if she would ever get it back.
Chapter Eight
Luca
I was almost home from Riley’s and had just rounded the corner into my street when I saw Ashton and her mom getting out of their car. As much as I liked her mom, I didn’t want to run into Ash after what she’d done today. That girl gave me a migraine. If I’d driven, I could’ve just pulled into my driveway and slipped inside, but Riley’s house was only two blocks away and it seemed pointless driving there when it was just as easy to walk.
I slowed down, playing with the guitar pick in my pocket. It’d been the very first guitar pick I’d ever gotten. My dad had bought it for me and I’d always kept it on me for good luck. It seemed kinda silly, but it made me feel as though a part of him was still with me.
Stopping outside the West’s house—which was two houses down from mine—I tried to scope out whether or not Ash and her mom had gone inside yet. There was no sign of them.
I ducked behind the West’s hydrangea bush when I saw Ash’s mom walk back out again. Ash peeled herself away from the car and disappeared from sight. Since I couldn’t see her mom either, I assumed they were sitting on their front step.
Damn it! I’d almost let them see me! I had to be more careful. Now was probably the best time to go inside. My fence and their car were blocking me from their view.
I stopped on my lawn. Raised voices were coming from next door and I realized that Ash and her mom were fighting. Curious, I approached the fence that divided my house from Ash’s and saw Ash and her mom stand up. Quickly, I bent down before they could see me. Their voices were louder now and I could finally hear what they were saying.
“…face what people are saying about you! You’re giving me a lecture when you can’t even deal with your own issues!” Whoa. Ash was being pretty rude to her mom. I’d never dare speak to Momma like that.
“That’s enough!” Ms. Summers yelled. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! I did not fail in life. The best thing about my life is you, Ashton. The day you were born, was the day I won.”
Wow. That was some powerful stuff. I wonder what Ash had said to get that reaction out of her mom.
A second later their front door slammed shut. I wasn’t sure who’d gone inside until I heard loud crying that pierced my insides. It was Ashton.
I hadn’t heard her cry like that since my dad had passed away. Hearing those heart-wrenching sobs reminded me of the little girl I’d been best friends with. The time when her Gramps had died, and she’d cried like that, I’d wrapped my arm around her and she’d let all those tears out. I hadn’t let her go until she’d let every last drop out.
Once I was sure
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