A Slave to Broken Hearts (A Slave to Love Sequel)

Chapter 3: The Invitation

"Mom?" I whispered, knocking on her slightly open door. I was still in my prom dress, barefoot now and completely exhausted. I couldn't sleep though. I had to talk to my mom before that. I had to tell her about my decision.

One bright eye stared at me from the crack between the door and its frame, and Mazey butted against the door. I pushed it open a smidge and she slunk out, circling the bottom of my dress. "Mom I really need to talk to you."

I pushed her door open a bit, and after narrowing my eyes to slits I finally could make out her form in the darkness.

"Mom?" I knocked on her door again, a bit louder this time. She stirred, rolling over. "Mommy?"

"Hmm? Kiana?" she yawned, "Something wrong?"

"I just need to talk to you about something," I said quietly, feeling almost shy.

"Can't it wait till morning? What time is it anyways?" she fumbled about, then flicked on the lamp by her bed. The room suddenly lit up with a soft glow, a comforting green was the theme for this room. It looked similar to mine only everything was backwards and a different color scheme. She stared at me through half closed eyes, her short hair sticking up in all directions.

"It's about three in the morning. Sorry for waking you, but I couldn't wait any more. I really have to talk to you," I slipped into her room and shut the door.

"What's wrong honey?" she said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

I hurried over to her bed and sat down, my dress making it a soft swishy noise as I went. "I'm scared."

"Scared? About what?" she blinked her eyes at me, looking slightly more awake now. "Is this about Blade?"

"Yes. No. Sort of." I took a deep breath but it didn't seem to help. "I'm scared of the future. I'm scared of making a choice, I'm scared of making the wrong one, I'm scared of failing and falling flat on my face. I'm terrified and worried and I don't want things to change. I don't feel ready for this at all."

She mulled it over for a minute. "Is this about you and Blade going the next step? If that's what you're worried about, then just take it slow. If you have any doubts then you aren't-"

"Mom! No, it's not that," I jumped in hastily. Yeesh. That ship had already sailed. Multiple times. Across the globe. It was a highly renowned world traveling vessel. But she really didn't need to know that. Especially right now. "I meant in terms of college and careers and the rest of my life."

"Oh yeah, that. Of course. Well you never know with people your age," she said with a small giggle. "So what about it? Haven't you got it all planned out?"

"Not at all! I mean I have different plans, but I just...I don't know what to do. This past year...everything's changed. I thought I had it all sorted out; boarding school, graduate, come back home. But now-"

"But now you have to think of other people. Or person, more specifically," she said, as if she'd already thought of this.

"Yes! And I don't know what to do," I said, relieved that she at least understood my problem.

"Well...what do you want me to do about it?" she asked bluntly, looking slightly comical with her big eyes, mussed up hair and expectant expression.

"Help me! You're my mom, you're good at this kind of thing," I said incredulously.

She burst out laughing. "Me? Oh Kiana I thought you knew me better than that."

I sat there, stunned. "Well...then...what do you think I should do? What do you think of all this?"