In His Bed (18+)

Chapter 18

Pulling into the space, I shifted into park and shut off the engine. Stepping out, I grabbed my bag and shut the back hatch roughly.

The apartment building before me was two stories tall, surrounded by winter-barren trees and clad in fading paint.

The complex had its faults, but it was reasonably safe, and together Mom and I could afford a two-bedroom.

We hadn't always been able to say that.

With a mounting sense of dread, I walked up the stairs into our apartment, dumping my bag on the floor.

"Mom? I'm home."

I heard the "thunk" of the dryer door shutting. "Give me a second."

As she walked down the hallway, toward her bedroom, I saw her glance at me with a look I couldn't begin to decipher.

Oh god...

Anxiety was gnawing a hole in my gut when she returned to the living room. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears as she walked up to me, arms crossed and demanded:

"Where were you last night?"

I frowned, "Last night? I told you, I was having a sleepover at Faith's."

Not technically a lie.

Raising an eyebrow, she fished her phone out of her back pocket, pulled something up and then handed it to me.

On the screen was a text message, and I could feel the temperature in the room drop as I read it.

"Hi, it's Faith – I'm having trouble reaching Hailey. I know she had work last night, but could you ask her to call me if she's free tonight?"

Oh, fuck.

Taking the phone out of my hands, Mom slid it back in her pocket and silently stared me down.

When she spoke, it was with an air of lethal calm.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again, and I would appreciate it if you didn't lie this time; Where were you last night?"

My breath caught in my throat, and I swallowed, hard.

There was no way I could answer that question. Not honestly.

My silence only seemed to increase her irritation. "You weren't with Faith, and you weren't at work, so there was an unacceptably long stretch of time where I had no idea where you were, who you were with, or, apparently, how to reach you!" Pausing, she closed her eyes and took a breath.

When she spoke again, her voice was tight with barely restrained anger. "Can you understand why I'm upset?"

"Yes." I whispered.

She shook her head. "Look, I get that your little friends might pull stunts like this, but I didn't raise those girls and how they act isn't really my business – but you? You know better!"

"I know." My eyes were on the carpet, and my pulse raced within me.

"It's a boy, isn't it? You were at some boy's house."

Definitely not a boy... Unable to speak, I nodded.

She groaned, and I heard a muttered, "Jesus," come out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry..."

She said nothing for several moments, then I heard a deep sigh.

"Hailey? Hailey, look at me."

Raising my gaze, I burned under the disappointment in her eyes.

"Hailey, I get that you're eighteen and legally an adult. Okay? I get that – believe me, I was that age once too. I know that I can't technically tell you what to do anymore. I also know that I could pull the 'while you're under my roof, you'll follow my rules,' card, but I won't."

Her anger softened. "Do you know why I'm not going to do that?"

Confused, I shook my head.

She sighed. "Because my parents pulled that on me, and all they got out of it was a grandchild a year later."

The fuck?

My grandparents?

The people who had supported Mom through her nursing degree?

The people who had taken care of me while she worked?

The people who had helped raise me?

I paused, not understanding. "They kicked you out?"

She pursed her lips, "They gave me an ultimatum – their way or the highway. They expected me to cave, but they underestimated just how stupid and pigheaded I was at that point. I packed my stuff and moved in with my boyfriend, only to have to come crawling back six months later, abandoned and pregnant."

Fucking what?

I shook my head, "I knew that my dad skipped town before I was born – how am I just now hearing that my grandparents kicked you out?!"

Mom walked over to the couch and sat down. "They've changed since then, and I didn't want to ruin your relationship over something that's practically ancient history."

"But-"

"Hailey, I didn't tell you this for the sheer joy of digging old skeletons out of the closet – I needed to give you context, so that you understand why you're not being grounded until you're forty." Digging out her phone, she set it on the coffee table. "And, believe me, after the supreme humiliation of having Faith fucking Coleman accidentally inform me that I don't know where my child is, I thought about it-" She ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head.

"But, no. You're not grounded. I'd be a massive hypocrite if I threw a tantrum just because I caught you doing the exact same thing I used to do." Turning, she met my eyes. "But I still want to talk about why you spent the night at a boy's house and you didn't tell me."

"I-" the words caught in my throat, "Wait, you wanted me to tell you about that?"

She skewered me with her stare. "Hailey, I know you didn't get an IUD for the fun of it – I've made my peace with you being sexually active. I'd just kind of like to have some idea of where you are." She raised her eyebrows, demanding, "What if something had happened? What if I needed to come get you, and I'd showed up at Faith's house like an idiot?"

I felt myself fossilize.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

If she'd shown up at Faith's house last night...

It didn't bear thinking about.

'Cuz I'd be six feet under.

"Okay," I say, voice hoarse. "Okay. I'm sorry that I lied to you. I just didn't know how you would react, and I didn't want to disappoint you."

She sighed. "If I'm disappointed, it's because I thought we communicated better than this."

"I-" I shrugged, "I didn't know how to tell you. Now that it's out in the open, I promise to never lie about it again."

"Good." Mom stood, coming over to pull me into a hug.

"You know that I'll always love you, no matter what, right?"

I nodded.

Releasing me, she turned toward the hallway, "Well, I've got some laundry to finish up. I'm thinking lasagna tonight – any objections?"

"Sounds great – do you want me to preheat the oven?"

"Please do!" She walked toward her room as I went to the kitchen.

Pausing, she added, "Oh, and let your boyfriend know that he has an open invite to our Sunday dinners with your grandparents. You know, anytime he wants to meet the family."

I almost choked on air.