by Mia Ford
It was clear that Andrew and his “deviancy” were still very much on their minds.
By the time Mom and Dean sat down, the trip to Boston was practically all I could think about. I played along with their small talk for a few minutes, sipping my soup and eating quietly.
“Kristin, what’s on your mind?” Dean passed me the bread basket and I took a small roll, toying with it in my fingers. “You’ve been awfully quiet this evening.”
“Oh, not much,” I said, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible. “Just…my friend, Megan, from school emailed me. She’s going to Boston and wanted to know if I could come with her.”
“That sounds nice,” Mom said mildly. My heart soared as she looked at me. “When?”
“This weekend,” I said, buttering a piece of my roll. My stomach was churning but I knew I had to keep up the pretense of at least looking hungry.
“Well, I don’t see why not,” Mom said. Just as I was about to leap out of my chair and jump for joy, the other foot came crashing down.
“Just as long as you’re home for supper,” Dean said. He passed me the green beans and I took them numbly.
I licked my lips. I knew it was now or never.
“Well, that’s the thing,” I said carefully. “Megan doesn’t really like driving at night – it’s dangerous, you know – and she’s going to stay over with her cousin Amanda. She invited me to spend the night, too.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Mom said. She frowned. “Boston is a big city, Kristin. Where does Amanda live?”
My mind buzzed and whirred and finally, I spat out the name of the first neighborhood I could think of.
“Jamaica Plain.”
Mom frowned. “That neighborhood has a lot of crime activity,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go.”
Something snapped inside of me. I knew I shouldn’t argue with my parents, but I’d had enough. It felt like every time something good happened to me, Mom and Dean had to step in and snatch it away.
“That’s not fair,” I said hotly, standing up from the table. Mom and Dean both looked at me in shock.
“Kristin, sit down,” Mom said sharply. “We’re still eating.”
“I’m an adult!” I said loudly, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m twenty-two years old! I’m not a little kid anymore!”
Mom’s eyes burned with anger. “Yes, and you’re living under this roof,” she said hotly. “You don’t get to make demands like this.”
“But I’m not a child! You can’t keep me here!”
“Well, Kristin, if you feel that way, you’re welcome to move out,” Dean said. “You’ll need to find a job so you can pay for school, and housing, and your cell phone, and utilities, and insurance, and all of your other bills.” His calm smile infuriated me. “And as soon as you do that, you’re free to do things like visit Boston for the weekend. But until then, it’s our rules.”
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in shock.
“This is why Andrew acted out,” I cried loudly. “You didn’t give him any room to breathe!”
Before Mom and Dean could say anything else, I spun around and stomped up the stairs. Hot tears leaked from my eyes and I slammed my bedroom door behind me, throwing myself on the bed and sobbing.
It’s not fair, I thought angrily. I hate them for doing this to me! The tears burned my eyes as they streamed down my face and my nose was filled with gluey, wet snot.
Eventually, I cried myself to sleep.
The next week dragged by. Christmas was the usual family affair – we went to Mom’s parents’ house first, then to Dean’s father’s for a second dinner. Both events were full of cousins whom I’d rarely spoken with before, and I didn’t exactly have high hopes for gifts. I’d worked hard to knit Mom and Dean scarves. They seemed to like them okay, but honestly, I was still angry over the whole Boston thing. I was starting to realize that being sheltered wasn’t exactly a good thing.
Andrew hadn’t come home. I hadn’t exactly expected him to do so, but it still felt like a loss. When we were at Dean’s father’s house, I snuck into the hallway and looked at pictures of Andrew as a little kid. With his big eyes and curly dark hair, he gave every indication that he’d grow up to be a real devil.
When class started up again, Megan was in my biology seminar. After class, we got coffee in the student union. It was the first time I’d seen her since the previous semester, and I felt like we had loads to talk about. Or at least, she had loads to talk about. The most exciting thing I’d done all break was help Mom bake cookies for the annual church bake sale.
“Oh my god,” I gushed when I saw Megan. She’d cut her butt-length straight red hair into a chic bob that showed off her jawline. She was wearing a black leather jacket and sleek leggings – she looked at least five years older.
“Santa really hooked me up this year,” Megan said with a smirk. “How was your Christmas?”
I rolled my eyes. “Horrible,” I mumbled. “I’m so sick of Mom and Dean right now. They keep treating me like such a little kid.”
Megan nodded sympathetically. Like me, she’d grown up with strict parents. But her parents had gotten a divorce while she was in high school, and after that, Megan’s mom turned out to be pretty wild. She lived at home, too, but unlike me, she had basically free reign. She also had her own car, and she’d had three boyfriends. I was worlds below her in terms of experience.
“Well, I’m going to Boston again this weekend,” Megan said. She smirked. “Why not tell your parents that you’re staying over with me and come with? Amanda is so much fun,” she gushed. “When we were there, she took me to this brewery and there were so many hot guys working. I got like, six phone numbers.”
My palms itched at the thought of getting even one phone number.
“Wow,” I said. “And, um, I don’t know. I feel really weird lying.”
“Kristin,” Megan said dryly. “You have to do this, girl. You owe it to yourself.”
I slumped down in my seat and sipped my coffee. “I don’t know,” I mumbled. “It really seems like a bad idea. You know how strict she is.”
“If you don’t lie to your parents and sneak out, I’m coming over there and kidnapping you,” Megan said. “Okay?” She smirked at me and suddenly, I was reminded of why we were such good friends. She’d always been able to read me like this – it was one of her best qualities.
“Okay,” I agreed. “But if I get in trouble…”
“You won’t,” Megan promised. “Trust me. We’ve got everything taken care of, and you’ll be home right after breakfast the next day.” She giggled. “I hate driving with a hangover, but it’ll be worth it.”
That night, I went home and told Mom and Dean that I had a big test in biology the next week, and that Megan and I would be studying together over the weekend. It didn’t hurt that her older brother, Michael, was in med school. Mom bought the lie immediately. I didn’t even have to sweat too much. I guessed they were still distracted about Andrew, because normally, I would have had to face a lot of questions if I told my mom I was just going to leave like that.
As Megan and I drove into Boston, my excitement took over and I forgot about being nervous. Her cousin, Amanda, was basically everything I want to be in the future – gorgeous, sexy, funny, and with a great job that let her rent a fabulous apartment. She took us out dancing, and to breweries, and out to dinner with her friends at this gorgeous restaurant that overlooked the bay.
“This is so cool,” I said, sipping at my spiced caramel martini. It was so sweet I couldn’t even tell that I was drinking alcohol. “I love it here.”
“I come here all the time,” Amanda said. She pointed over my shoulder, towards the bar. “One of my friends works there, you see that blonde guy?”
I nodded, blushing. “He’s really cute.”
“He’s gay,” Amanda said with a laugh. “So don’t think too much about him. But he’s really sweet, and he always gives
me free drinks.”
Just then, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I frowned when I realized that it was Mom.
Fuck, I thought. What does she want?
When I showed Megan, she shook her head. “Don’t answer,” she said quickly. “She’ll leave you alone if you don’t pick up. Just tell her you were studying and you didn’t hear it go off.”
But seeing Mom’s name on the screen gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nervously, I bundled up in my coat and went outside, wishing that it wasn’t so loud.
“Hi,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Kristin, where are you?”
My heart sank. “Um, I’m at Megan’s,” I said. “We’re studying, remember? I told you I’d be spending the night here.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me,” Mom said. “Where are you, Kristin?”
A lump formed in my throat and my skin suddenly felt too hot and too tight for my body. I was gripping the phone so tightly that my hand was numb.
“Kristin, if you don’t answer me, I’m calling the police,” Mom snapped. “So you’d better tell me. Now!” She ordered loudly. “Where the hell are you?”
“Um, I’m in Boston,” I squeaked quietly. “With Megan. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“The hell you will!” Mom yelled. “You’d better walk through this door in one hour or else!”
“I can’t,” I replied. “Megan won’t leave – Mom, we’ve had a few drinks, it’s not safe if she gets behind the wheel of a car!”
“I don’t give a shit,” My mom snarled. I was taken aback – the few times I’d ever heard her curse, it had never been directed at me.
“Well, Mom, I can’t come home,” I said. “I’ll be home tomorrow, okay?”
“Unless you’re coming to get your things, you’re no longer welcome,” Mom said icily.
“What?” The word came out as a yelp. “What did you just say?”
“If you can’t obey my rules, you’re not welcome in my home,” Mom snapped. “You lied to me and disobeyed me, Kristin. You’re a bad daughter! And since you’ve shown you can’t respect the rules, I’m not going to let you stay here anymore.”
I felt like my world was crashing down around me. Without saying anything else, I hung up the phone and slid it into my pocket. All around me, people buzzed in crowds and groups. They were all happy – laughing, singing, making jokes. I hated them for being so carefree. I bet they don’t know what this feels like, I thought, glaring.
An icy wind whipped over my face and stung my eyes. Finally, I pushed my way back into the restaurant and sat down with a huff at the table.
Megan and Amanda eyed me. “What’s wrong?” Megan asked. “Everything okay?”
I shook my head, feeling numb. “It’s not okay,” I said. “She kicked me out of the house. She found out I lied to her. She told me I can’t come back unless it’s to grab the rest of my stuff.”
Megan and Amanda looked at each other.
“Well, you’re welcome to crash with me for a night or two,” Amanda said slowly. “But my landlord has a really strict policy about no other people staying in the apartment for more than a week.”
I stared at her. “It’s okay,” I said, even though I felt so far from okay that it wasn’t even funny. “I know I’ll have to find somewhere else.”
“You can always move in with me,” Megan said brightly. “Michael’s friend Teddy did that when they were still in pre-med. My parents only charged him three hundred dollars a month for rent, isn’t that good?”
I stated at her dully. “I don’t have a job,” I said. “I have no savings – at least, not savings I can get my hands on. I share a bank account with my mom.”
“Girl,” Amanda said slowly. “You have got to learn how to be more independent.”
That’s when Andrew’s smug, smirking face popped into my mind.
“I think I know someone I can call,” I said slowly. “But it’s gonna be a long shot.”
An hour later, I was waiting nervously for Andrew in the lobby of Amanda’s building. There was a little wine bar, Café Amana, where we’d agreed to meet. I was chilled to the bone and I didn’t feel like drinking, but I knew that I couldn’t just come right out and tell him what had happened over the phone. After all, we’d barely spoken to each other or spent much time together. Andrew was basically a stranger to me.
All we had in common was our parents.
“Kristin?”
I turned around at the sound of my name. Standing in front of me was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. His skin was deeply tanned, like he’d just gotten back from Greece, and his dark hair was smoothed into waves that showed off his sculpted face. There was a hint of dark scruff on his chin and jaw, and his sexy dark eyes seemed to penetrate me.
“Hi, Andrew,” I said nervously. God, he’s even more handsome than I remembered! How is that even possible?
Andrew relaxed into an easy smirk. “You look so grown-up,” he said with a tinge of sarcasm in his dark, rich baritone. “It’s good to see you.” Before I could reply, Andrew pulled me into a hug, crushing me against his muscular body. The scent of expensive, woody cologne radiated from his skin.
It took all the effort I had not to swoon.
“So,” Andrew said. “What are you doing in Boston?” We’d just sat down at the bar and ordered drinks – I’d gotten something called a Candy Cane Martini and Andrew had ordered a bourbon on the rocks. I couldn’t stop sneaking little glances at him. Every inch of his appearance seemed to radiate confidence and sex. He was wearing a dark button-down shirt that clung to his graceful, brawny torso and his dark pants made his legs seem longer than humanly possible. He was both feline and boyish at the same time.
I wanted to kiss him.
Instead, I sipped my drink. It was sugary sweet – which was the only kind of alcohol I could stand.
“I’m surprised to see you drinking,” Andrew smirked. He sipped his bourbon and rolled the glass around in his sinewy hand. I snuck a look at his hands and shivered when I saw how veiny and thick they were.
“Well, I’m not at home,” I said tightly. “That’s um…that’s kind of the reason why I called you.”
Andrew leaned back in his chair. “Oh, yeah? Thought you’d pay me a visit now that you’re in Boston?”
I nodded. “Sort of.” When Andrew looked at me expectantly, I knew I couldn’t keep silent about my dilemma anymore. “Mom and Dean threw me out,” I said flatly. “I…I came up here with my friend Megan, from school, and I lied because Mom wouldn’t have let me come otherwise.”
“Go on,” Andrew said, taking a sip of his bourbon. His dark eyes flashed mysteriously.
“It’s just…” I sighed, setting my martini glass down on the bar. The alcohol was starting to make me feel warm and relaxed, something I wasn’t used to feeling. “You know how it is,” I said finally. “Mom and Dean are just so strict! It’s like, I never do anything wrong but I get punished anyway! It’s not fair, Andrew. I’m an adult – I’m twenty-two. And I can’t even spend the night away from home without getting the third degree!”
Andrew nodded slowly. “You’re completely right,” he said. He smirked. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you Dad wasn’t always this bad. But something changed, I guess. I mean, I had to get away from them. And now you don’t blame me, do you?”
I shook my head. “I understand,” I said. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
“So, do you have a place to stay?”
I couldn’t meet Andrew’s eyes. Instead, I just shook my head. “I don’t,” I said flatly. “I can stay with my friend Megan’s relative here for a few days, but not more than a week. She said her landlord is really strict about extended guests.”
“Makes sense,” Andrew replied. “Well, why not stay with me?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”
Andrew smirked again, looking devilishly handsome. “Sure,” he said. “You just have to promise me one thing?”
“Promise me you’ll learn to lighten up,” Andrew said dryly.
I swallowed nervously. I wasn’t sure what that meant, and I didn’t like the sound of it.
But I didn’t have any choice.
“Okay,” I mumbled. “I promise.”
Andrew’s dark eyes flashed. “Good.”
It was then that I got another sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wondered what exactly Andrew meant, but I didn’t want to seem like a bratty little kid by asking too many questions.
Still, I knew I had to agree to his terms. After all, I didn’t have any other choice.
Andrew paid for two more drinks and then we climbed in a cab and rode to where he lived, in the South End. It was a much posher neighborhood than Jamaica Plain, and I couldn’t help pressing my face against the window and watching as we rolled past gorgeous, antique homes.
“How can you afford this,” I breathed. “This is incredible, Andrew.”
Andrew smirked. Then he did something very strange – he rested his hand on my knee. At first, I squirmed under his touch. But after a few seconds, I began to enjoy the heat radiating from his palm and sinking into my skin. Andrew slid his hand further up my thigh. When I looked over at him, he raised his eyebrow.
“Just remember what I said back in the bar,” Andrew said smoothly.
The cab slowed to a stop and Andrew paid, handing the driver a twenty. I followed him back into the cold air, shivering as it hit the exposed skin at my neck and hands. Andrew led the way into a gorgeous, older building with an intricate brass gate.
“This is beautiful,” I said, craning my neck and glancing up. “You live here?”
Andrew nodded. “I have for a few years,” he said. When he opened the front door, I was startled by the sight of another man on the couch.
“Hey,” the guy greeted Andrew. His eyes flicked over me with interest. “Who’s this?”
“This is Kristin,” Andrew said. His voice contained just a hint of mocking. “You’ve heard me mention her, right?”
