by Leila Lucas
Admittedly I don’t know anyone she mentioned but the classic authors, and that’s only because of school. But I could listen to her talk about her books all day because her face just completely lit up.
“Sorry, I completely nerd out when it comes to this stuff.” She scrunches her nose.
“Don’t be sorry. Nerd out anytime.” I kiss her forehead.
While she finds yet another bad movie for us to watch, I take a closer look at her framed photos sitting in between all her books. They all seem to be of a young Chloe and Vikki. Chloe looks the same, freckles on her face, long brown hair and Vikki towering over her. In the biggest frame was a picture of them two in tutus. I should have known she was a ballerina. The way she moves is always so poised.
“Do you still dance?” I point to the photo and she smiles at the memory.
“Not anymore. I did it regularly up until college, then I got lazy. Honestly I wasn’t very good I just liked doing it.” She laughs. “Chocolate or cookie dough?” She holds the two ice cream tubs in front of me. I grab the chocolate because I know cookie dough is her favorite.
Chapter Sixteen
CHLOE
“Chloe, what is this outfit?” My mom brushes past me and leaves me standing at my front door in just underwear and Dylan’s T-shirt. The only thing I hate more than unexpected visitors is when it’s my mom… at eight in the morning on a Saturday.
“What are you doing here?” I reach for my coffee machine immediately while I watch her place her coat on the sofa. She’s making herself comfortable.
“My friend Alice is scouting a wedding venue for her daughter, so I came along for support.”
I laugh to myself. Support. I don’t think she’s provided moral support for anyone in her entire life.
“I thought I’d come by so we can do breakfast and some shopping, but I see you’re already busy.” She looks past me with a slight smirk on her face.
In that moment I remember that Dylan is here. Unlike me, he’s wearing pants, but he’s topless and looking very, very, very hot right now. If my mom wasn’t sitting right across the both of us I’d probably go for round three on the kitchen bench right now. Why am I even thinking about this? I need coffee. Now.
“Uhhh…” is all that comes out of Dylan’s mouth. I’m not sure if he knows that it’s my mom, but either way it’s a really awkward situation right now.
“Mom, this is Dylan. Dylan, this is my mom.” Judging by the mortified expression on Dylan’s face, he definitely didn’t know it was my mom.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Je—” He turns to me with a puzzled look on his face. I mentioned that she had been married several times but never brought up the fact she had always kept her last name.
“I’ve just seen you walk out of my daughter’s bedroom with no shirt on. I think we’re on a first name basis. You can call me Miranda.”
Dylan just nods and smiles. “I’m going to take a shower now.” Before he closes the bedroom door he throws a pair of sweatpants at my head.
“Well, that was awkward,” I state the obvious.
“Maybe he’d know I was your mother if you had a single photo of me here.” She stares at my bookshelf.
“I do.” I haven’t had enough coffee to argue with her this early in the morning.
“They’re horrid photos, Chloe.” Any photo that was taken of my mom pre-Botox, pre-fillers, and pre-perfect blowouts is considered a bad photo. Who cares if the photo is with her own mother and child, she looks ‘bad’ therefore it is. “I’m going to browse the little boutiques around the area until you’re ready for brunch.”
“We’ll meet you in about half an hour.”
“We?” The only time my mom has been interested in my boyfriends was just to find out if he is part of a well-known family. Unfortunately for her they never were.
“I’m not just going to ditch my boyfriend. Plus, we’ve worked up quite an appetite.” I smile sweetly at her.
“Ugh, Chloe. Unnecessary.” She quickly grabs her coat and throws it over her shoulders as she walks out of the apartment without saying a word. I never wanted to be like her in any aspect, aside from her sense of style. Try as I might, I never get my outfits just right, despite most of my wardrobe consisting of her out-of-season hand-me-downs. I’ll be able to pay off my children’s college fees with all these designer pieces.
“Is it safe?” I hear Dylan whisper behind me.
“The coast is clear.”
“Thank God. That was awkward as hell. And your mom is the scariest person I’ve met in my life.”
“Scarier than me?”
“You’re too cute to be scary.” He kisses the top of my head.
“I bet there was a time when a boy said the same thing to my mom and look at her now.”
“The Chloe I know is going to be a pie-making mom of six who will be super nice to all their partners.”
“Awww, you really think I’m gonna be able to make pies?”
“Absolutely not.”
“That’s just mean, but I’ll excuse it because you’re so hot. So, so good-looking. So sexy. So tall and masculine.”
“I have to go out with you and your mom, don’t I?”
“Sorrrrryyyy.” I wince.
“That’s okay. You did meet my parents unexpectedly too.”
“But I was fully clothed, so I got brownie points for that.” Having a boyfriend meet the family is always a big deal for everyone involved. But for me it’s my worst nightmare. My mom isn’t the nicest to me let alone to a guy I’m with. A guy who’s a musician and whose parents don’t own hotels in every country.
“I’m going to get changed into something that’ll impress your mom. I take it we’re not going to Noah’s?” He laughs as I pull out my favorite hand-me-downs from my mom, my gold glittery Jimmy Choos. As soon as Dylan heads home to get ready, I shower, throw on a bit of makeup so I look human, and put on the world’s easiest outfit—a black jumpsuit.
DYLAN
Chloe has told me stories about her mom, but seeing it unfold in person is petrifying. She didn’t even bother hiding the unimpressed look on her face when I told her I was in a band and was studying to be a music teacher.
“What is it that your parents do?” Miranda takes a sip out of her wine glass.
“My mom works for a few big charities and my dad was a surgeon, but he is retired now.”
“Your father is a surgeon?”
I see Chloe roll her eyes at Miranda’s sudden approving smile.
“Yes, ma’am. The best of the best in his field.”
“Wow.” She nods. “And they’re okay with you and your brother just trying to be musicians?”
“The boys are really talented,” Chloe interrupts. “Susan and Roy are the nicest, most supportive parents.”
Miranda doesn’t flinch at the slight jab from her daughter. I can’t tell if she’s just really good at hiding her emotions or she genuinely doesn’t give a shit. Absolutely every single thing about her is completely opposite of Chloe. As horrible as it sounds I’m so fucking glad that she wasn’t raised by this woman. Chloe is the kindest, sweetest, and funniest person I’ve ever met, but her mom? Her mom doesn’t seem to have an inch of any of those qualities.
“Sorry, I’m going to have to get this.” Miranda picks up her phone and walks outside.
“Holy shit.” I turn to Chloe.
“Do you still want to be with me?” She scrunches up her face.
“I think you underestimate just how much I like you.”
Chloe leans her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around mine.
“So this is as lavish as Nashville gets?” Miranda purses her lips as she looks around. This is the same restaurant Chloe and I had our first failed date at. It’s not the fanciest place around here, but it’s one of the nicer restaurants. The kind of place where you wear all your best clothes and pay a week’s worth of wage for a meal.
“It’s no different than any of the places you eat at.” Chloe fr
owns at her when she realizes people next to us overheard her.
“Do you want to share a meal?” I jokingly say to Chloe and she bursts out laughing.
“I’m paying. Order what you like.” Probably wasn’t the smartest idea saying an inside joke in front of Miranda.
“He’s just mocking the portion size,” Chloe explains.
“It’s the quality of the food not the size of it. You would understand this if you didn’t eat rubbish every day.”
“Nobody taught me how to cook,” Chloe bites back.
I secretly find it fascinating that they are arguing so politely and without even looking at each other. Anyone around us would assume they’re just having a normal conversation between mother and child.
The jabs at Chloe came over and over again, which she handled like a pro, and all I could do was hold her hand under the table for moral support. Thankfully Miranda wasn’t too interested in me, so I managed to avoid any insults. But we both got out alive. I survived my first Miranda Jennings experience.
Chapter Seventeen
CHLOE
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I push Nate away from me.
Before he could answer a fist went flying right into his face and he tumbled backwards, the table saving his fall. “What the fuck are you doing?” Dylan stands inches away from his face.
“Ask your girlfriend,” he mutters, holding the side of his face, which is now bright red. Another punch to his face.
“I’m asking you.” Dylan holds on to the collar of his shirt. Their faces are inches apart.
“Dylan, stop!” I yell out, but I know he’s not listening to a word I say. Nate is an idiot, but two punches are more than enough.
“What the fuck is happening here?” Ben runs in, trying to assess the situation.
“Chloe kissed me,” Nate stupidly blurts out, which almost gets him hit again. Luckily Ben stopped it in time and moved Dylan out of the way before he evened out the redness on Nate’s face.
“Are you okay?” Dylan walks over to me.
“I’m fine.” Before I had the chance to say anything else he goes into his room, slamming the door as hard as he can.
“You’re such a moron.” I look at Nate before following Dylan.
“Sit down, dickhead, I’ll get you some ice,” Ben says.
After knocking on Dylan’s door a hundred times I decide to let myself in without an invitation because it didn’t sound like I was going to get one.
He’s sitting on his bed, head resting in his hands. I stand in front of him, but he doesn’t look at me.
“I didn’t kiss him.” I move his hands away from his face and straddle him, gently putting his head on my chest.
“I know that, babe.” He hugs me tighter.
“We were just talking then he leaned in and it came out of nowhere. We were having a stupid normal conversation and he just—” I can’t finish the sentence. Like everyone else I don’t like being unwillingly kissed and I definitely don’t like seeing my boyfriend hurt.
“I believe you. I would have punched him if he did that to any other girl, but it’s you… I had to get away from him because I swear I could kill him right now.”
I love that he didn’t doubt me. I take his hand and look at his red knuckles. “This doesn’t look good.” I frown up at him.
“It’s okay, it’ll heal.”
“Do you have a first aid kit somewhere?” I start wriggling off him, but he pulls me back down with him on the bed.
“Probably somewhere. Never really had to use one before, but I’m sure Mom smuggled one into the bathroom.”
“You guys never needed one? Nobody ever punched anyone before?” I smirk.
“When I was younger, a few times, yeah. Not recently.”
“Well, I don’t condone violence, but it was kinda hot.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Oh realllllly?”
“In a hero saving a damsel in distress way, but you still didn’t need to do it.”
“Well, if that’s what does it for you I’m gonna go find more guys to punch.” He starts getting up and I pull him back down on the bed.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Well, you seem to like the idiot so…” He shrugs.
“I love the idiot.” Not the best way to tell someone you love them for the first time, but it just came out. He freezes and scans my face for a while.
“The idiot loves you too.” He moves the hair from my face. A huge grin spreads across my face. For the first time in my life I’m in love. This is the love I write about. The one that stays with you for the rest of your life. I want to bottle this feeling and keep it forever.
“Are you okay?” Ben comes into the room and lies down next to us on the bed.
“I am. I’m so sorry about all of this.”
“Don’t apologize,” they both say in unison. “I kicked him out, so don’t hesitate coming over because of him. Our casa is su casa,” he proudly says. “Why’s your bed more comfortable than mine?” Ben sulks.
“Dude, get out of my bed.”
“Why? I like it here. Plus, Chloe isn’t complaining about being in a Holt sandwich.” Ben runs out of the room as soon as he finishes the sentence.
“You have a pretty cool brother.” Seeing the relationship between Ben and Dylan makes me long for a sibling even more than before.
“Inappropriate brother. But yeah. He’s all right.”
Chapter Eighteen
CHLOE
I’m not the type of girl who is addicted to her cell phone. Considering it’s the number one distraction from my job, I usually keep it away from myself until I’m on a break. So it’s no surprise that I didn’t notice my phone missing the entire day. In between signing books, fan-girling over my favorite authors as well as chatting to readers and friends I didn’t have a spare second to glance at my cell phone. Luckily my phone case has my initials and it was brought back to me by one of the lovely event organizers just as I was packing up.
Eighty-five missed calls.
Fifteen voicemails.
Seventy-five texts.
I glance at the various texts and none of them are telling me much, so I go straight to calling Vikki. Then Dylan. Then Ben. Then Chester. Then Jackson. Nobody is answering. Time has never felt longer than it does at this point. Every ring feels like a full minute. My entire body is shaking and I feel like throwing up.
As I go back to my texts to see if anyone has told me what happened I get a call from Ben.
I feel a tightness in my chest I’ve never felt before. I know it’s bad. And I’m seconds away from finding out just how bad the news is.
I have never run as fast as I am right now through the hospital hallway. My heart is beating so fast I feel like it’s going to explode out of my chest. My tears blur my vision and I know I’m dropping things out of my bag, but I just can’t stop running. I have no idea which way I’m going, but I know I’d see the Holts at some point.
“Whoa!” Ben stands in front of me and grabs me by the arms. His green eyes are puffy and red and he looks like shit.
“What… Dylan…” I try catching my breath and can’t seem to form a sentence together. He briefly told me what happened while I was in the cab heading toward the airport, but all I really remember was that he had a car accident and it wasn’t looking very good.
“The driver was on her phone and ran a red light.” He shakes his head. “They put him in a coma. He already had surgery. They said we won’t know anything until he wakes up.” He looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath.
“They don’t know if he’ll be okay?”
“They said they did everything they could but had to resort to putting him in a coma until the brain swelling goes down. He hit his head hard.”
“Can I see him?”
“Are you sure you want to see him? He looks… he doesn’t look like himself right now.”
“That’s okay. I want to.”
Ben puts his arm around my shoul
der and we walk into the small white room. I first see Susan and Roy sitting in the corner, holding hands. They both quickly sit up and I go and hug them. Even though I’m devastated and scared, my heart hurts even more for them. I can’t even begin to imagine having to deal with losing a child. I slowly turn around with my eyes closed, take a deep breath, and open them.
Dylan has a huge bandage around his head, a tube going under his nose, other tubes covering his arms, and a neck brace. I thought watching every single episode of Grey’s Anatomy would prepare me for anything I was about to see, but his face is swollen beyond recognition. He looks nothing like my Dylan. I start feeling sick and run out to find a bathroom. Knowing I won’t make it, I go to the nearest bin and throw up. I lean against the wall and slide down on the floor and burst into tears. I feel like I don’t have the right to cry in front of his family right now. They’re on the verge of losing their son and brother. I’ve known Dylan for less than a year. I don’t hear anyone, but I feel someone slide down beside me and pull me in toward them. I can tell by the worn-out black Converses that it’s Ben and I just lean on him and cry until there’s nothing left.
“I am so sorry this is happening.”
“Me too.”
“I’ve seen people recover from much, much worse. Dylan will get through this,” someone says. I look up and Roy hands me a bottle of water. I take it and immediately take a sip to get the disgusting taste out of my mouth.
“They don’t know what issues he’ll have once he wakes up, but we need to stay positive for him. Okay?”
