Catching Red Eyes - NYC

Chapter 36

"Yes, I do still exist. It would be nice to hear from you considering you are my only child."

"I-I've been busy, mom, I'm sorry..."

I did feel bad because before I left for school, my mom and I had a decent relationship. We had different tastes, no matter how many designer bags or fake spray tans I was ever given, I never liked any of it. My mother on the other hand lived for Sunday brunches and spa weekends with her friends. My dad and I were closer than my mother and I because we had more things in common like our need to be up early no matter what day it was and no need to ever spray tan.

"Late night, sweetheart?"

My mom was staring at me and looking at me from head to toe. I couldn't imagine what I looked like in this moment. Disheveled hair, still half wet from my shower, no makeup, Laurie's heels still dangling from my fingers, and of course my tight, little red dress. I was the polar opposite of my mother, with her dark jeans, soft pink collared shirt adorned with a white sweater over her shoulders, and her custom Nikes that she threw out as soon as they had one mark on them. Her platinum blonde hair was blown out and her bangs were swept perfectly to one side and her makeup was fully done.

"Uh, yea. Little bit. I'm going to go change quick."

I bolted past her and ran into my bedroom. Was I forgetting an event or something? My finals weren't for a couple days yet and my graduation wasn't for another couple weeks. It wasn't Mother's Day yet either. Why was she here?

I quickly found a pair of sweats and a hoodie and threw my hair up in a bun. I went back into the living room to find my mother still there.

"So...what brings you here, mom?"

"What, no hug or kiss?"

I gave my mother a quick kiss on the cheek and sat down.

"Well, just wanted to come check on you to see how you are doing. And the girls have said some...interesting things about you that they have heard from their daughters...their quite younger daughters. I knew you had met them a few times but somehow they know everything about you and your involvement with a certain celebrity and I said my Rowan involved with a celebrity? No, but they had photos on their phones and I just had to come out here and ask my daughter herself. By the looks of it, they might be right because you are simply glowing."

I was completely shocked and embarrassed as the certain pictures she was referring to were probably the balcony ones. I forgot there was a whole other world outside of mine and Harry's love bubble and that the internet was accessible in Red Bank and that Harry Styles was part of a huge music group with millions of fans all over the world. I never even second guessed that my own mother would ever see the pictures, let alone me having to tell her I was dating. My old boyfriends were always friends of the family and it was basically her setting me up on blind dates and I just went with it to get her off my back. Occasionally, a few were decent and we would date but it would always fizzle out after a few months. 

"So you came out here to see if some rumor was true?"

"Oh, don't be silly sweetie, I wanted to see you too. I haven't heard a thing from you in months."

"I've been busy with school and the paper, mom, plus exams are soon so I've been studying. Where's dad?"

"You know where your father is, honey. Working. They are putting in a new ER wing and he is head of the committee as well as taking care of his patients. I wish you would come home more often but I know you are busy. The pups and I miss you."

"I miss you all too, mom, but I am really sorry I have to get back to studying."

"Oh, you have time to study. I came out the way out here, lets at least get lunch."

I knew with my mother that even her suggesting to lunch was cue for me to change and go with her even if I didn't want to.

"Besides, I need to know all about this new man in your life and when I get to meet him," she said with a smile.

Meet...him? I felt sick but at the same time I guess this was normal routine for when boyfriends meet their girlfriends' family but was it different if they were incredibly famous? I couldn't even wrap my head around the fact I was even lucky enough to date Harry but now I had to introduce him to my mother? Knowing that my mother would take it the extreme, as she did with everything, I was going to hold off as long as possible.