“If you stay, we could work together on this. We both know that Stuart and his friends won’t stop bullying people and will use any flimsy excuse for what they’re doing. If we don’t stop them, who will?” Kyle asked.
Late yesterday, Stuart had been waiting outside the school gym when Shannon left her makeup math class. He’d harassed her and threatened to tell the whole school she was gay. Not believing him, she’d walked past him out to where Kyle waited. They’d ignored his taunts as they walked toward the mall, until Stuart had hit her, knocking her to the ground.
“What could we tell the school that they’d be willing to believe? Stuart will deny that he followed us to bully us. He’s popular—do you think they’d believe us over him? And what if we tell on Stuart and they get the police involved? He’ll say it was all a mistake, that he never meant to hurt me. Then my mom would want to know why we didn’t tell the truth in the first place. I’m afraid she knows that I lied about last night. She kept asking me all kinds of questions about how I fell.”
Shannon wished she could simply go to her mom, tell her the truth and have it over with. But that wouldn’t work, at least not for now. Her mom would make a big deal about it, be angry, upset and go all protective on her. Especially because her mom didn’t like Stuart, because she was convinced he did drugs. If she found out Chloe was dating him, she’d flip, then talk to Chloe’s parents and the school, and this whole big mess would get worse.
Truly, Shannon wanted to tell her mom that she was gay, that she was being bullied, but she couldn’t disappoint her mom, who thought she was straight and that Kyle, of all people, was her boyfriend.
Her mom had worked so hard to give her a good life. She knew all that. But lately it felt like her mom didn’t understand her, didn’t know what she had to endure every day at school.
“Look, I need to get away, to get things clear in my head. You can’t go with me. I need you to stay here. See if you can convince Chloe to help us.” Chloe had been with Stuart when he pushed Shannon. She still couldn’t believe that her best friend wouldn’t defend her. “She’s so sure she’s in love with that jerk, and I can’t get her to listen. But she’d listen to you.”
“I’ve already decided that if you won’t let me come with you, I’m going to the police. You can’t be the only one Stuart is bullying.”
“You can’t go to the police.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you remember how we got into this mess?”
Stuart had been going out with Chloe for about two weeks when he cornered Shannon in the corridor and hit on her. She’d made it very clear she wasn’t interested in him, that she and Chloe were friends. When she rebuffed him, he accused her of being a lesbian. Shannon had told him to get lost and to mind his own business. He told her he would make her pay. Stuart had been the subject of conversation between her and Kyle ever since. They were still no closer to knowing how to deal with Stuart.
“Yesterday changed everything. You know that, right?” Kyle asked. “We need to take action. He’s not going to stop otherwise.”
“He will if I’m not here,” she argued.
Kyle leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m going with you. End of story.”
How had her life gotten so messed up? “I wish I’d never told you,” Shannon grumbled.
“Why?”
“This is my problem. You didn’t have to be involved.”
Kyle turned to her. “But I am involved. I’ve got an idea. Jake seems like a good guy. He might be able to help us. He was part of the meeting at the school.”
“How do you know?”
“He said so.”
Shannon glanced at her mother, saw her worried expression and felt really sad. Shannon didn’t want to hurt her mom. She loved her very much. She just didn’t know how to cope with what was happening in her life. She loved school. She wanted to play volleyball, be part of school activities. But Stuart’s bullying isolated her... She was on her own to defend herself—except for Kyle, of course. As much as she wanted to tell everyone she was gay, she was afraid of how people would respond. What if her friends reacted the way Stuart did?
“My mom doesn’t like Jake because of what happened during the divorce. I’m surprised she let him come here.”
“I don’t think she had a choice. She was too worried about you. He’s doing his best to help you and your mom.”
“But Mom hates him.”
“Just saying that he might be able to help us. Will you give it a try? Would you do it for me?” he asked, a grin of encouragement on his face.
Shannon loved Kyle like a brother. He had been her friend since sixth grade. She trusted him completely. Maybe she should take his advice. In truth, she didn’t want to leave home, her friends and especially Kyle. And she didn’t want to cause her mom more worry. Sighing, she glanced toward her mother, who appeared to be deep in conversation with Jake. “Okay, but you’re going to owe me big-time,” she teased.
“Thanks.” He put his arm around her shoulders. For the first time in a while, Shannon felt like she might be able to sort out this mess.
* * *
JAKE ARRIVED FROM parking the car to witness Shannon’s rudeness toward her mother. Her defiance and cockiness contributed to the tension and distrust between the two of them, and he understood how hard it would be for Andrea to remain in control. He had to admit that the Andrea he’d known wouldn’t have held her composure so effectively, and he admired her for doing the best she could in a difficult situation.
Underneath Shannon’s bravado, he suspected, lurked a teenager who felt trapped between her parents. But if Shannon left, she would still be in trouble when she returned, and Andrea would be worried and anxious the entire time. He saw the struggle in Andrea’s eyes and wanted to reach out to her, to reassure her that there was still time to convince Shannon to stay home and face whatever was going on.
But was he prepared to be part of this? It could take hours of his time, and for what? He wasn’t officially assigned to the case, so he’d be acting in an unofficial capacity. Andrea might have been willing to have him along in her moment of desperation, but he doubted that she’d cooperate long enough for him to make an impact on Shannon’s situation.
Again, he questioned if he was prepared to invest the time with the Taylors. Since his wife’s death five years ago, he’d continued running the psychology practice they’d started together. As the lead partner in the firm, he had to deal with administrative issues in addition to building his practice. So, no. He didn’t have the time to act as an unofficial mediator.
Yet, seeing the pain between mother and daughter, seeing Andrea’s reaction to the news Shannon intended to visit her dad moved Jake. Scott had blindsided Andrea and played on his daughter’s insecurities—actions Jake thought were deplorable. A father who really cared about the welfare of his daughter would not put her in this difficult situation with her mother.
A deep compassion for Andrea hit Jake. She needed support—perhaps more than she knew—and he could provide it.
She turned to face him, anxiety evident in her deep blue eyes. “What do we do now?”
“We wait and see,” he said. It seemed like a platitude, but they could only wait to know the outcome of Kyle’s discussion with Shannon.
“That seems to be all I do,” Andrea said, her easy tone sounding forced. She was silent for a moment then asked, “Where did I go wrong?”
“You probably didn’t. You could provide all the support and the most stable home life in the world and still have your teen act out.” He wasn’t sure his words were as reassuring as he wanted them to be, so he sought to explain. “They have all those crazy hormones running amok, and there’s an incredible amount of pressure on teenagers—pressure to do well in school, to succeed in extracurricular activities, to fit in with their pee
rs. Because of their age and inexperience, they have fewer tools to deal with issues that arise in their lives than adults do. As adults, we sometimes forget that. Being a parent isn’t easy.” A flash of sorrow struck him as he thought of the daughter he’d never have the chance to parent.
Andrea turned to look at Shannon. “I believed there were no secrets between us. Now I know that’s not true, and I hate how it makes me feel.”
“Like a loser parent?” How many good parents had sat in his office and confessed the same thought? So many parents believed if they did the right things, said the right things, put their kids in the right activities, they could protect their kids and avoid messy, painful situations. Clearly Andrea belonged to this group.
“How did you know?” she asked, meeting his gaze.
“Trust me when I tell you you’re not alone. Teenagers are trying to be adults, learning to take charge despite their fears and inexperience. They make mistakes—some bigger than others, some with severe consequences—and parents blame themselves.” Was he helping her? He didn’t want to sound too clinical, but he wanted Andrea to understand what she was experiencing wasn’t unusual. She wasn’t a bad parent simply because Shannon was in some sort of trouble.
She held his gaze for a long moment, and he let himself be open to her scrutiny. Let her see that he was being honest and not judging. Without warning the space between them felt charged as awareness of each other crowded in. No, that’s not what he wanted here. It was inappropriate for so many reasons.
Andrea looked away, breaking their connection. Feeling as though he’d been granted a reprieve, Jake struggled to get his attraction to her under control. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong woman, he reminded himself for the second time that day.
* * *
NEEDING TO REGAIN her equilibrium, Andrea glanced away from Jake’s compelling brown eyes. Confused at the emotions she felt, she looked toward where Shannon stood with Kyle. How could Andrea feel attracted to Jake when he’d caused such havoc in her life? Yes, he’d been supportive today and she’d been glad to have him with her, but that didn’t change the situation between them. Did it?
Holding hands, Shannon and Kyle strode toward them. “They look like they’ve come to some sort of decision,” Andrea said, then kicked herself for stating the obvious. She blamed her awkwardness on her anticipation of what Shannon might say. Liar, whispered a small voice in her head.
Shannon’s hug came as a total surprise to Andrea. “Mom, I’m not going to Dad’s house. At least not right now.”
Clutching her daughter, Andrea breathed in the scent of green-apple shampoo, remembering the first time she’d brought it home and Shannon had proclaimed it was the only shampoo she’d ever use. Andrea had been so close to losing this closeness, to losing her daughter.
“Thank you. I’m so relieved,” she whispered, forcing a steady tone into her voice as she smoothed her hands over Shannon’s hair. For the moment, Andrea’s anger and frustration with Shannon stepped aside, allowing her to appreciate the fact her daughter was staying at home. “You’d better call your father and tell him you won’t be on the flight.”
Shannon released her. “I need my cell phone. Do you have it?”
“Right here.” Andrea pulled it out of her purse.
Without saying thank you, Shannon grabbed it and walked away.
“Shannon, have you forgotten your manners?” Andrea said, embarrassed that her daughter could be so rude and behave as if she was the only person on the planet. Had she been like this all along, and Andrea was too blinded by her false mental picture of their relationship to see the real Shannon?
Andrea’s rebuke was ignored as Shannon had a friendly, laughter-filled exchange with her father, Andrea noted with disquiet.
Shannon slid her phone in her pocket as she approached. “There. Dad’s okay with me coming later.”
Of course he would be, because he was playing the supportive parent now. This sudden, cozy relationship was one more thing Andrea wanted to get to the bottom of. Her daughter had a lot of explaining to do. But not here.
“Let’s go,” Andrea said, trying to control the anger seeping through her.
“Okay. Kyle and I have a huge science assignment due on Monday, so can he stay for dinner?”
Andrea wanted to say no. She was tired of Shannon putting her off, of avoiding their long-overdue discussion. She searched Shannon’s face for any sign that she was manipulating Andrea. But Shannon’s expression was open. Andrea could hear Melody’s warning that Shannon’s grades were slipping and felt as though she was in an impossible position. What if she said no then Shannon did poorly on the assignment? How much further back would that put her academically? Would delaying their talk another few hours make that much difference in uncovering the root of her issues? Probably not. Keenly feeling her influence over her daughter slipping, Andrea nodded.
Shannon smiled at Kyle. “Time to head home, then.” They started toward the exit.
What did Shannon think there was to smile about here? Did she assume her disappearing act and lying would be forgotten?
Jake moved to follow the teenagers, but Andrea hung back, working through what had happened and how she would deal with it. Could Shannon and Kyle have come to an agreement about how they would explain their behavior? If that was the case, Andrea needed an ally. Shannon had suddenly become good at changing the subject, of making Andrea feel she was out of order to ask questions. Andrea wanted someone there, someone whose authority Shannon would respect.
Would Jake help her? He’d certainly eased the situation today, and despite her dislike of him, Andrea had to admit he’d been very kind and caring. Maybe having someone like him at her side when she talked to Shannon would shift the mother-daughter dynamic.
She caught up with him. “You said you’d be willing to help me any way you could. Could you help me find out what is going on with my daughter? Would you stay for dinner?”
He locked his gaze on hers. That frisson of awareness crackled between them.
“I’ll stay, but you should know Shannon may want even less to do with me than you. If that’s the case, I won’t be of much benefit to you.”
“And if I’m willing to take that chance?” she asked, suddenly aware of how much his answer mattered to her.
CHAPTER SIX
THE WARMING SCENT of lasagna in the oven brought back memories of other Fridays when Shannon would hang out in the kitchen, full of stories about what her friends said and did, how her day at school had been, what one of her teachers had said or how close a volleyball game had been.
Where had all that gone?
Gina had met them at the door, saying that she had to go home but was pleased that Shannon had been found. Gina’s gaze had taken in Jake standing next to Andrea, who had a pretty good idea what her matchmaking friend was thinking—that if Jake had come here, there was a chance they were willing to talk to each other. To Gina, talking was the first step in a relationship. But Gina didn’t understand how little Andrea wanted to do with Jake, even though she welcomed his support tonight.
Sitting in the family room, Shannon and Kyle huddled around Shannon’s laptop while Jake volunteered to set the table. That was usually Shannon’s job, but Andrea appreciated his offer and the distraction his presence offered.
“The table’s ready. Anything else?” he asked.
“A magic wand. One flick of the wrist so all this never happened,” she answered.
He shrugged. “If life were that simple.”
Andrea lifted the pan of lasagna from the oven and set it down to cool a bit before serving. “I plan to be perfectly calm and in control about all this. Shannon is going to explain her behavior.”
“Let’s decide first what you want to know.”
All of it, was her immediate thought. But then she considered e
verything Shannon might be hiding. “Well, the truth about the incident yesterday would be a good place to start,” Andrea said, feeling her stomach knot at the thought of the potentially awful things her daughter had covered up with her story about falling. “I must be the dumbest mother on the planet.”
“No, you’re a mother who chose to believe and trust her daughter.”
“What if Shannon refuses to tell me what’s going on, or she announces that she wants to live with her father?” As difficult as the past few hours had been, Andrea could not imagine her life without her daughter.
Jake’s gaze met hers across the kitchen island. “I don’t know what will happen. She may not want to tell you, but as long as she believes you’re listening, it may encourage her to be more open.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because it’s clear you’re very close.” His intense look made her want to squirm.
“But if we’re close, why won’t she talk to me?” She occupied herself with gathering serving utensils, trying to ease away from the sense of intimacy that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. “Never mind. You can’t possibly answer that. I guess I’m just worried that something else will go wrong.”
“Shannon is probably as scared as you are. She may tell you what she thinks you want to hear,” Jake said.
“So what do I do?” It was a testament to how insecure she was right now that she sought his advice so easily.
“Try to understand what she’s going through. Try to figure out what’s real and what’s not.”
Bracing her hands on the counter, she faced him across the island. “She obviously is going through something she isn’t willing to share with me. Why didn’t I see the signs that she was skipping school, missing volleyball, all those things Melody talked about?” Briefly she fantasized about simply walking away from it all, letting Scott take over primary parenting duties, letting him suffer this worry.
“Andrea, every parent has doubts about their ability to be a good one. You’re going through a difficult time, but it’s not impossible.”
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