Dare Me Not | 18+ ✔

22. Tryst During Feast (Parker)

"Who are you talking to?" I ask Mom, who is now burying her face in her phone screen. She blocked Rick's number, but seeing her so engrossed with her gadget makes me curious.

She looks up and quickly switches off her screen. "It's one of my beta readers. She finished reading it and is about to write some feedback."

"Oh?" I lean on my guest room's door, crossing my arms against my chest. "I didn't know they needed to update every step of progress they made."

"Some of them do," Mom says before putting her phone on the dresser and walking to me. "What time is dinner at your father's party?"

"Seven. I'm thinking of skipping it."

She stops in front of me and puts her hands on her waist. "Why?"

"Because you will be home alone." And god knows what stupid things she will do when she's alone. "Brit isn't in town. She can't come to entertain you."

She scowls, looking displeased at my reply, but she extends her hand to gently tuck my rebellious bangs behind my ear. "Do I look like a toddler to you? Of course I can be home alone."

Yeah, right. She'll probably unblock Rick's number and call him once she gets nervous. Mom is still too confused with everything to be left alone. "It's not that. I'm just trying to look out for you."

"That's very sweet of you, but honey, I'm perfectly fine now. Blocking him from my life and staying with you for a few days really helps me see how stupid I've been."

"Will you call Dr. Kayla next week?"

"I will. I promise."

I nod, thinking about the coming bills I need to handle from my mom's counseling. It's not covered by her insurance since she didn't choose the suggested counselor on the list. I need to start making budget plans, and I will say it again: this internship shit sucks.

I bite my lower lip, frowning. "Maybe, if you consider staying here for a while, you can find someone else in this area, and maybe those who are on the list."

"Nah." She waves her hand in a dismissive gesture as she saunters to the kitchen, her silk night robe dancing as she moves. "That is my home, and my whole life is there. He's the one who needs to leave, then I can start seeing Kayla again. Though I don't think my problem with Rick is worth discussing in the session."

I follow her to the kitchen. "Why not? It's been bothering you and making you confused. It's worth the talk."

"I have you."

"And I'm not the most reliable person to discuss this. I mean, I would just bash his balls and kick him out without batting my eyelashes, but again, I've never been in any relationships. So" —I shrug— "I don't know."

"Why haven't you dated anyone, Parker? Don't you think it's time for you to enter a new phase of life?" Mom plops down on my breakfast stool after grabbing a glass of water from the sink. "You will need someone eventually. We can't live alone forever."

I groan inwardly at the sudden change of topic. Not this again. "I'm not planning to live alone forever, but I don't need to live with the person I sleep with. It would be too messy."

"Wait until you fall in love, honey. The day will arrive when you find a man who shakes your world, putting you off balance. And the only way to find your equilibrium back is by being with him," she says in a dreamy voice; her story-narrating voice. "And he makes you want to tie a knot and be with him forever."

"Is that what you felt when you met Dad?" I retort, but I regret it right away.

Her smile drops, and she sighs. "Yes. At least it felt like that. Tim was–" she pauses, frowning at the glass in her hand. "Your father was charming, full of life, and so ambitious. Every woman dreamed of being the next person he'd date and eventually marry."