Don't Say You Love Me

Chapter TEN

Teegan

It's late afternoon before we make it back to the house, but the kids are full of ice cream and happy and sweaty. It's that warm, thick air where it feels like I have sand everywhere, too. Mom is already home and having a glass of white wine, sitting on the back deck. She looks much more relaxed than I've seen her all week and that makes me happy. The kids run to her and hug her right away.

"We walked so far and my legs got tired," Josie says right away. "But Teegan carried me on her back."

"Did she?" Mom asks, smiling at me.

"Yep. And we got ice cream and it was yummy," the little girl goes on. Her hair is falling out of her pony tail and her cheeks are red.

"And we saw the boats!" Oscar shouts, and I notice he's got chocolate smeared on his cheek.

"I'm glad you guys had fun together," Mom goes on, then to me says, "Thanks for taking them."

"No problem. How was your meeting?" I ask, walking up the steps of the deck.

Oscar grabs a couple buckets off the deck and goes down to the sand, and Josie follows him.

"It went well. Just about a loan, for the business." She says this casually and then calls out to the kids, "Stay close to the deck, please."

"We know!" Oscar yells back.

I'm just about to go into the house to get some water and relax a bit when my mom stops me again.

"Oh, Teeg, how was the party?"

My stomach bottoms out right away. Firstly, she called me Teeg. She called me that when I was little. And secondly, I don't want to lie or keep things from her, but I will not go into details about what happened at the party. Forcing a smile, I step closer to the house.

"Oh, it was fun. I had one beer that was pretty gross and walked back. I got home before 11P.M," I tell her, because I know that's what she wants to hear.

"I do not care if you drink or stay out later than that, Teegan. I know you'll be responsible," she says, and then smiles again. "Did you meet some more of the kids who will be around this summer?"

My mind goes right to the mysterious guy, but I try to shake it away and nod at my mom. "Yeah. Lola's friends seem nice."

"Good. Great."

I know my mom is friends with Luke's mom. I know that other teenagers also work at the rental hut, I just don't know who, yet. Everything is still new and unknown to me. I do know that I have to keep some things from my mom, because it's a tiny place and the only way I'll survive is if my mom thinks I'm having at least an okay time.

My dad calls me that evening, and it's only the second time I've heard his voice in over a week. I didn't realize that I missed him, really, until now.

"How's everything?" he wants to know, his voice trying hard to sound cheerful. I know him very well and I can tell he's faking it.

"It's good," I say quickly, fiddling with the dangling things on the blanket, on my bed.

"Good. You and your mom getting along?" he asks. "I figured normally you'd be on your way home from there by now, since it's been a week, so I thought I'd check in."

Right. It's weird, though, that the week really flew by and I am looking forward to staying longer. I never thought I'd be thinking this. There is so much more than I want to do, I guess.

"Yes, we're good," I answer and then think about what else I want to tell him. He doesn't need to know that I'll be working. He only really needs to know that I'm safe and happy.