by Laine Watson
Haru goes and changes into sneakers shorts and a T-shirt, then kisses me goodbye. As he is leaving, he gets a call. Max runs past him out the door into the yard. Haru stands in the door and talks. I get the ingredients out of the fridge to start preparing dinner. He walks back into the kitchen.
“Hey, you want to have dinner with my parents in a couple weeks, princess?” Haru asks me.
“Here? No, there’s still boxes everywhere—”
“No, at their place.”
“Oh…” I drop my shoulders. I wish I could go see my mom; things are horrible between us. I planned to never look back, but I miss her.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” He observes me for a moment, “Are you missing your mom again?” he asks, taking me in his arms.
“I shouldn’t have just left things like I did.”
“You can always talk to her. Don’t you have your friend watching out for her? Stop being stubborn.” He pauses and kisses me. “Call her and invite her out here. We’ll pay for the trip; she can stay with us.”
“Haru…”
“Do it, princess. I’m right here. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” He kisses me again, “We’ll be back.”
“I didn’t say yes to dinner.”
“Yeah, but you know my mom will call you and guilt you into it, so the answer is yes,” he says, leaving out of the door.
He’s right. I smirk.
I lean against the counter and pull my phone out. I stare at it, as if doing so will give me the nerve to call my mom.
I haven’t talked to my mom since we left. She probably thinks I’m a horrible person. I did everything I said I was going to do. Shouldn’t I feel better about rubbing it in her face? I don’t even want to do that. I just, want her to be a part of our lives.
I sigh, I’m just going to call her—wait let me call Darby first. I make the call.
“Hello?” Darby answers.
“Hey.”
“Is this another ‘spy on my mother’ call? Or do you actually want to talk to me?”
“Um, both.” I have a thought. “Hey, so I know I kind of left abruptly, but what would you say to you coming here for a few days to hang out with me, Max, and Haru?”
“Um, yes! Best friend. Awesome kid. And uber hot guy? I’m there. Because you know, I’ve never met him. You’ve been keeping him all to yourself.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely! When?”
“I’m not sure, exactly but in the next couple of weeks. We’ll pay for you to fly out, and you can stay with us.” Hopefully Haru doesn’t get upset that I invited her also.
“I’m so there!”
“Yeah. Haru wants me to invite my mom here. So I’m about to call her.”
“Oh, so you invited me because you need your best friend?”
“Yeah. I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Summer.” She pauses, “Your mom has always been intense but, she’s your mom. And I don’t know my parents. The people who adopted me, aren’t in my life anymore. You’re pretty much all I have.”
“Aw, Darby. I’m sorry I left, I’m sorry I don’t call as much as I should.”
“No, its fine. I’m not trying to have a pity party. I’m happy for you. I’m really just trying to say, even if she is a major bitch, you should still try to have a relationship with her.”
“I know. Max, I’m sure, would love to see her. I wonder if she’d like to see me happy, and doing something, I don’t really know. Would she be jealous? Would she say underhanded things to get a rise out of me? Would she intentionally say hurtful things just to massage my insecurities?”
“I think your mom says bitch shit all the time. That’s just who she is. You can’t let it get to you.”
“You’re right.” I take a deep breath, “How’s the new job?”
“Oh, it’s great. Can’t complain about government work—they might hear you.” She laughs. “And here I thought I’d be working as a Museum archivist or curator when I graduated—you suck by the way for not coming to my graduation.”
“I couldn’t get off work, I didn’t even know Canon had semester graduations. Most graduations are in May or June.”
“It’s fine. Like I was saying: It’s not the job I wanted, all that historical knowledge and bullshit for nothing. I have a boring desk job. You know they have a headquarters near you guys. Maybe I should move up there.”
“You should. That would be awesome.”
“Nah, there’s really no point.”
“What about me?”
“What about you? My best friend, whose been going out with a guy I’ve never met, I never see you unless I force myself on you, what would change?.”
“I’m sorry. It was a weird time. It’s not going to be like that anymore. I promise. You can come and stay with us whenever you want.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She says lovingly, “You still working and not getting paid over at the high school?”
“Yep, until next semester. I’m going to apply for the paid internship and then try to get a job there. I already know the counselors and most of the kids. So I’m really hoping I get it.”
“All right then. I hope you get it, too. I suppose you think you’re going to chat your way out of calling your mom, loser—no way. Call her. Stop being a baby.”
I sigh with a smirk. “Okay.”
“Okay. Bye!”
“Bye.”
The call ends and I stand at the counter for a few minutes and do nothing. Finally, after a deep sigh, I call my mother. The phone rings three distinct times, and I almost panic and hang up.
“Hello, Regina Vaughn.”
There is only silence for a few moments.
“Mom … it’s me.” I gulp.
“Summer.” She pauses. “Well, are you coming home now? Did he have his way with you, and he doesn’t want you anymore? Or are you giving up?”
I knew it. I start to breathe a little heavier. My heartbeat quickens almost pounding out of my chest, and I only want to call her names and hang up the phone. Haru’s in my heart, helping me to know that I am strong, so I calm down and take a deep breath.
“Actually, Mom, I was wondering if you wanted to come see the new house. We’re having dinner with Haru’s parents in a couple weeks. Do you maybe want to come and meet them? I know Max would love to see you.”
“Huh, the new house?” she patronizes.
“Yeah, we’ll pay for your plane ticket. You can stay with us.”
“You mean Haruki will pay for my ticket.” She takes a pregnant pause. “All right then.”
She said yes! I’m going to ignore her Haruki jab.
“You’ll come? And have dinner with his parents?”
“Sure, why not? When’s the dinner?”
“Well, it’s in a few weeks. I don’t have a specific date or—”
“I can probably only come for one day. Wednesday will be best. Go ahead and set up the arrangements. Let me know. I’ll see you in a few weeks, Summer.”
“Oh, um, yeah. Okay.” I pause. “Mom…” She didn’t even ask how I was, what I was doing—nothing.
“Yes, Summer?”
“I miss you.”
“Of course you do.”
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Did you love Haruki?
Then you should read I'm Not Your Teacher by Laine Watson!
?? ??☆.•°Slow Burn°•.☆?? ??
Mai has found herself in a bit of a bind. She likes Gareth the muscular, baseball player. She likes David, the laidback, adorable and sexy guitarist, but when the dark and mysterious Jonny comes along, what is she going to do? She's trying to figure out who she is, what she wants and everything keeps leading back to her Music teacher. Will Mai figure out her love life, her future and her past?
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Series
Haruki Arima Duet
Arima (Book two coming soon)
Standalone
Find Your Soul
Dirty Wishes
I'm Not Your Teacher
The Currior's New Tyrant
Coming Soon
I’ll Remember
Never Do That
Four Summers
I Like Dirt
Website under construction.
www.lainewatson.com
About the Author
Laine Watson is an American independently published author who was born and raised in the Midwest. She loves to write new adult romance and contemporary romance featuring dark men and innocently quirky, feisty young women. She also loves dancing in the rain, flash mob-less dancing/singing, roller skating, cosplay and spending time with her family. In her free time, she enjoys watching superhero movies, Shoujo anime and Kdramas.
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