Page 232 of Masters of Pleasure
It was easier to keep anything romantic out of his space.To keep anything intimate out of his space.
“Mrow.”Whiskers head-butted him, rubbing her whiskered cheek against his cheekbone, so her whiskers poked him in the eye.Talk about bringing him back to himself.
“Thanks, Miss Princess.”True to form, Whiskers went from little princess to demon in the blink of an eye.She hissed at him and jumped away, chin and tail high in the air as she pranced toward the kitchen.
At least she hadn’t clawed him.
Shaking his head, Law was about to get up and clean something instead of sitting around all afternoon overthinking when his phone rang.He picked it up without looking at it, thinking it might be Iris needing him.
“Hello?”
“You picked up!”His mother’s delighted tone made him groan inwardly.
It’s not that he didn’t like talking to his mother, she just talked too much, and what she wanted to talk about was usually whatever hedidn’twant to talk about.Voicemails he could eventually respond to tended to be easier.She would tell him what she actually wanted instead of making him wait through twenty minutes of stories about her friends’ single daughters before getting to the point.
“Hi, Mom.”He kept the resignation out of his voice.It wasn’t her fault, really.She just wanted him to have a certain life, the life she’d thought he would have when he’d married Elaine.Instead, she’d been deprived of both a daughter-in-law and grandchildren when he fucked up.Even though his two sisters had provided her with the latter, he was the only boy and the only child who didn’t live across the country.
Sometimes, he wondered if she would move to be closer to her grandchildren.So far, she didn’t seem to want to leave Delaware, and his dad would do whatever made her happy.So, they stayed on the east coast even though two of their three children and all of their grandchildren were on the west.
“Oh, it’s so nice to hear your voice.”Cue the guilt for not taking more time to talk to her.That was inevitable.“How are you doing?”
“I’m good.How are you and Dad?”
“Good, good, we’re both good.Have you heard about Elaine?”The question was asked with a bit of disapproval, though he knew the disapproval wasn’t for him.His parents were staunch Catholics, and Elaine had the gall to divorce their only son.It still stuck in his mother’s craw, no matter how many times Law explained it was exactly what Elaine should have done.
“No, I haven’t.”This was why it was easier to bear the guilt of not answering his mom’s calls than picking up.Elaine was definitely a subject he didn’t want to talk about.“Is she okay?”That was all he really cared about.He wasn’t in love with her anymore.He just wanted her to live a good, happy life and get everything she deserved after everything he’d put her through.
His mother made a hmphing noise.
“She’s engaged.”The words sounded almost like an accusation.
“Good for her.”Relief filled his chest, even though he knew it would rile his mom.That was exactly what he wanted for Elaine.
“Not good for her.She swore to live with you, for better or for worse.”The anger in his mother’s voice was real, as was the sorrow.
Law felt bad because he knew his mom had loved Elaine as if she were blood but knew she also needed to let this go.
“It was definitely for worse, Mom, and it wouldn’t have gotten better.Her leaving me was what finally made me hit rock bottom and admit I needed help.”
“She should have come back to you.”
“No, she shouldn’t have.She should have done exactly what she did and moved on.”Law closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.He was about to throw himself on the sacrificial altar for Elaine.His mom and her mom were still part of the same social circle, and Elaine didn’t need his mom’s drama.He was pretty sure his mom would leave Elaine and her mom alone, but this was the only way to be one hundred percent certain.“Besides, I’ve met someone, too.”
“You have?!”The utter joy that filled his mom’s voice made him smile and shake his head.
She’d loved Elaine and thought Elaine should have stayed by his side, but at the end of the day, she wouldn’t complain if Elaine wasn’t who he ended up with.The quickness with which she pivoted made him laugh.
“We just started seeing each other,” he said in a warning tone.
“Yes, but you’re telling me about her, which means she’s special.”
She was.Maybe too special for him.He was glad to hear Elaine was getting the happily-ever-after she deserved but did he have it in him to try again for himself?
He didn’t know.
ChapterTwenty-Six
Iris
