Page 65 of The Write Track
I could read Mom better than anybody. The shrewd narrowing of her eyes told me she was trying to do some quick calculations. She would inevitably jump to the wrong conclusions, so I braced myself to be embarrassed. “It’s funny, my daughter told me about her retreat, but she didn’t tell me about you.”
“Oh.” Nathan shot me a worried look, clearly wondering if he’d made a misstep.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “I was about to get to that part.”
“She lies,” Mom countered. “Whenever something is difficult, she doesn’t tell me about it.”
“What makes you think I’m difficult?” Nathan pointed at his ridiculously attractive face. “How does this face look difficult to you? It’s impossible. I’m far too good looking to be difficult.”
Mom giggled, and I relaxed, just a little bit. “If you say so.”
“Oh, it’s the truth.” He was solemn. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Mrs. Oakley.”
“Ms.,” she corrected automatically. It was a reflex for her.
“Of course. Sorry.” Nathan didn’t miss a beat when nodding. “I apologize. I also have a question though.” He seemed suddenly serious. “Bella told me about her father taking off. Is Oakley your name that you gave to her, or his name?”
My mother was rarely caught off guard. She floated through life and accepted whatever happened as the Goddess’s whims. But the look on her face now suggested she was dumbfounded by what Nathan had just said.
“You told him about your father?” she demanded of me.
For a moment, I was caught. Was she going to lose her mind and start yelling at me for spreading our private business to a virtual stranger? That had never been her way before, but she looked so shocked I didn’t know what to expect.
“I didn’t think it would be a big deal,” I replied, wishing I could make myself smaller for the first time since I’d left Preston. I didn’t want to hurt my mother. I’d done enough of that.
Mom waved her hand. “I’m not angry, Bella. I’ve tried to get you to talk about your father so many times I’ve lost count. I’m just surprised you finally did it, and with a man, no less.”
“Oh.” I cast Nathan a nervous look. “Well, speaking of that?—”
“How long have you been dating my daughter?” Mom asked Nathan, seeming to forget I was even on the call.
“Not long,” Nathan replied.
He was smooth when delivering the lie. I was sure he knew better than to tell her we were engaged, although I hadn’t removed the ring before calling Mom. I’d planned to tell her the whole story.
“It’s going well, though,” he continued. “We kayaked today—in a tandem kayak, no less—and we didn’t have a single miscommunication.”
“Is that so?” Mom’s eyes went wide. “Well, that proves you’re in sync on a spiritual level. Did you know that?”
“No.” Nathan’s smile was kind. “I’m glad to hear it, though.” He tossed a friendly arm over my shoulders. “Your daughter is a lot of fun.”
“She used to be,” Mom agreed. “I’m glad she’s getting back to it. Her last boyfriend, well, he was a real goat scrotum.”
Now it was Nathan’s turn to look confused. “Well, that was a very specific insult.”
“He was a very specific guy.” Mom’s eyes moved to me. “I approve. You should bring him up here to meet me.”
“Oh, well, Mom?—”
“We’ll try to figure something out,” Nathan interjected. “Salem sounds fun. I want to go there for Halloween.”
I cast him a dubious look. “You have mentioned that.”
“Um, you told me the story about the guy dressed as Michael Myers in ninety-degree heat, and I need to hang out in a town that has a Michael Myers on every corner.”
“Oh, you’re one ofthose.” Mom let loose a knowing head bob. “It doesn’t surprise me that Bella went that way, finally. She deserves somebody who is interested in the same things as her, even if those horror movies she insists on watching are misogynistic and gross.”
“Oh, here we go,” I muttered under my breath. I could not let my mother go off on a tangent. “Mom, you and Nathan can argue about the merits of horror movies when you meet in person. He’ll love to hear how the final-girl trope is really a purity test.”
