Promotion

16. Laced

"When are you going to be back?"

Misty watched as Ash collected his clothes from the ground and put them in the suitcase. She was lying down on his bed, the covers hiding her bottom body. She was wearing a satin red undershirt and she had no bra on.

"It's just for the weekend." Ash zipped the suitcase. He sat on the edge of the bed. "If I don't go, mom will come here, and I don't want her to come here."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want her to come here." Ash shook his head. "She keeps looking through my stuff. She doesn't respect my privacy."

"Are you scared she might find out about me?" Misty shifted a bit on the bed, smirking.

"You really need to stop hanging your underwear in my balcony." Ash pulled close and whispered to Misty, "I don't want anyone else to see them."

"Oh, you. You're so selfish." Misty got off the bed and walked up to Ash. "I don't see a problem with it."

"With what?" Ash was checking the content of his wallet.

"Your mother finding out about me." Misty shrugged. "It's fine. We're together. I don't mind meeting her."

Ash blinked. He started laughing. "Our relationship is not the problem, Misty!"

"What's the problem?"

"My mom is the problem!"

"What if I die? Huh? What if you get here and you don't find me? Huh?"

Ash rolled his eyes for the third time. He put his foot on his thigh and leaned back on the couch, flipping the channels on the TV.

"Of course! You don't care! You're an adult and you don't need me anymore!" Delia was shouting from inside the kitchen. "You think you don't need me but you still do!"

Ash sighed. He got up. "Do you need help with anything in the kitchen?"

"Screw your help! You know nothing about the kitchen!"

"God help me..." Ash sighed heavily again.

"You know what?" Delia got out of the kitchen. "Since you're here and you're doing absolutely nothing like usual, you can help a little by pulling the weeds in the garden while I do the laundry."

"Anything to make you happy, mom."

"You're thirty-five and you still act like a kid! Guys your age already have children!" Delia waved her hand and she went upstairs. "When we found you a girl you made her run away from you!"

"If I could run away from here..." Ash grabbed the gardening tools from the porch and headed to the front garden. He bent down, put on the gardening gloves and started pulling the weeds.

"ASH!"

Ash rolled his eyes. He got up. "What is it, this time?"

His mother came to the main door, looking furious. Ash's face paled when he noticed she was holding up a red laced string he instantly recognized from last night.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Delia shouted.

Ash panicked. He probably collected it with his clothes when he was getting his suitcase ready. He looked left and right and made his mom get inside the house. "I can explain."

"Is this why you wanted to stay in Goldenrod city?" Delia looked very angry. "You wanted to whore around! Is that so?"

"Mom!"

"Where were you before you come here? Huh?" Delia hit Ash on the head.

"Mom, listen to me!"

"I won't-" Delia slapped Ash's nuke. "Listen-" She grabbed her broom. "To anything you say!" She literally started hitting him everywhere.