Royals

Chapter 54

"How was the funeral?"

"It was alright," my mother answered, unusually quiet for once. "It was strange seeing him."

I nodded, popping another cube of cheese into my mouth. It was uncommon for us to have a comfortable silence, so neither of us bothered to disturb it for a while. My mother sipped from her tall glass of wine, watching as I inhaled the entire tray of cheese and crackers.

"What are your Valentine's Day plans?" she questioned, hiding her smile with her glass. She was curious about where Joey and I stood, that much was obvious.

"Lillia and I are going to watch movies and stuff," I nonchalantly responded, "just like we do every year."

"What are Joey's plans? Do you know?" she probed.

"He'll be with his girlfriend, Aimee. She's already in Michigan," I informed her.

"That model girl? I thought her name was Aubrey?" my mother confusedly asked.

"It is," I shrugged indifferently. "Either way, they're hanging out."

"How come you guys never got back together?"

I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks; it wasn't often that I chatted with my mother in the late evening about boys. The only time I ever opened up to her was on our cruise last November.

"He likes her, not me," I answered, feeling a bit squeamish.

"That's not true," laughed my mother. "He's just afraid of getting close to you again."

"That's not true," I shot back.

"Yes it is," she assertively replied. "You hurt him, and he's trying to protect himself from getting hurt again."

"I don't know," I grumbled, not believing her. I guess, in theory, her conjecture could have been correct. But this was Joseph Edward Blanzata we were talking about. He was one of the strongest, bravest people I knew.

"You should talk to him and let him know that you like him and that you made a mistake," she suggested.

"He already knows."

"Then he's definitely afraid of recommitting himself to you," she insisted.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to break up with Allison; it'll break her."

My mother sighed, abandoning her seat at the kitchen island. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

I sat alone in the kitchen for a little while—Anastasia was sleeping over at a friend's house tonight for a birthday party—until I finally couldn't handle it any longer. Making my way into the living room, I yanked my phone from my pocket and dialed a number that I hadn't glanced at recently.

"Hello?"

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, leaning back against the couch cushion. I located the remote beside me and clicked the power of the television on.

"On my way to the gym," he answered, beeping his horn wildly and screaming curse words out the window. "What about you?"

"Laying on the couch channel surfing," I sighed, plopping my legs onto cushion beside me. "How are you dealing with the breakup?"

"We couldn't handle it," Jake laughed. "Marietta and I got back together this afternoon via FaceTime."

"I'm so happy for you guys," I praised, plastering a smile onto my face, despite the fact that he couldn't see me. "The two of you make a great couple."

"Any update on Jomily?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, my eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"Jomily?" Jake repeated, confused. "You know, Joey and Emily? Jomily?"