Extraordinary

"You're Somewhat Mine."

Chapter 19

Fuck. Why would you say that? Give a guy who doesn't deserve you, the status of being with you.

I did say he 'was'.

But you just contradicted all of the shit that went down with Max and the fact that you were talking to him. You've dug your grave, bitch, decide what you're going to do. Lay in it now or later.

I cringe from inner Zaria and decide that I can't back down on what I just said. My mom knows me too well and she sees the way I've been acting. Like I have a guy in my life and if I don't start showing him or talking about him more, she's going to jump right back to the Donovan conclusion and I'm not ready to face that yet.

My mother purses her lips and drops her hands from around her eyes, "Max? Nineteen!?Where in the world would you have met a nineteen year old!?" She complains and I stare down at my feet in embarrassment. Not only do I have to tell her about how I worked with him back at the movie rental store, but I also have to act like I'm still into him.

I start explaining everything to her slowly; leaving out the parts of him hurting me and then after about three minutes, she's fully (okay, partially) informed of what's been going on. She looks at me and then sighs heavily, "Lets go back to dinner. This is not over -- I want to see this Max guy--"

NO!

"Mom--"

"No buts, Zaria! Unless there is something you aren't telling me the truth about?" She asks and I cringe inwardly. I can't let her know I have a thing going on with my stepbrother. That's horrifying to admit to my mother.

You told your dad.

Shut it, inner Zaria. He doesn't even know Donovan interacts with me now, so it's still a dreadfully sexy secret.

I drop my head, "No mom, I told you everything and alright, you'll meet him soon." I say, then leave the bathroom behind her. My eyes are burning with the need to cry and I know I can't be this way. Donovan will notice and then I'll have to explain to him why I'm like this. I mean, I'll have to explain it to him anyways, but -- shit. I just don't understand why I dug myself this hole.

We get back to dinner and our desserts are here. Steven's voice speaks out with concern, "You two alright? You were in there for awhile." He speaks and I drop back into the booth seat with Donovan. His fingers instant rub soothingly on my hand that's rested on my thigh, but I move it away and look up at my mom.

She's watching me and it's now that I realize fully just how careful me and Donovan have to be.

His dad may be oblivious, but my mother is definitely not.

~~~~~

"Zaria."

I don't answer Donovan as we're sitting in his car, going back home. I can't, not yet. He's going to kill me with the shameful look in his eyes when I tell him that I'm going to summon Max back from the dead. I need to use him to keep my mom off me and Donovan's case, but I know Donovan's not going to like it at all.

"Fine, you're not going to answer me, that's cool." He complies, "You brat."

Oh great, he's going back to the 'brat', shit. Nice. And he knows that it hits home with me.

"Alright, asshole... my mom asked me if me and you had a thing going on. So I panicked and--"

"Ratted us out? What do we even have going on, Zaria?" He asks in a clipped tone and I blanch. Like hell if I know what's going on, but he doesn't have to put me on the spot and practically try to kill me of embarrassment.