Page 80 of Shine For Me

“From this adorable blushing and stammering thing you have going on, I’m going to assume you’re equally smitten?”

“I’m in love with him,” I blurt out, then gasp, because where the hell did that come from? But even as the words shock me, I know that they’re true. I think I’ve probably been in love with Fox Ransome for a long time—I just convinced myself it was a crush because that felt less terrifying.

My mom sips her wine and doesn’t say anything. Something sparks in my chest and it takes a second to realize it’s anger. Like,realanger. The kind that makes my breath come in short and my hands shake.

“Just say it,” I snap, and her eyes come up to meet mine, surprise written all over her expression.

“Say what?”

“That you disapprove.”

She blinks a few times. “Why do you think I disapprove?”

“Your silent treatment says volumes, Mom.” An angry sound escapes me. “I tell you I love someone and you just sit there?”

“I didn’t say anything because you sounded pretty surprised by your own words,” she says calmly, and somehow that makes me even angrier. “I thought you needed some time to work through your feelings.”

“Sure.” I laugh bitterly. “I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he’s an actor.”

She sets her wine glass down, staring at me. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, Juniper.”

“Are you kidding me right now? You hate actors!”

“That would be rather inconvenient, considering who three of my children are.”

“Yeah, and you just love that, don’t you?”

“Juniper—”

“Adam cheated on me, Mom. Did you know that?”

I wait for her expression to shift to surprise, but it doesn’t. She just continues to watch me, calm and appraising. But her eyes look very, very sad.

“You knew,” I say, feeling strangely defeated.

“Of course I knew. I do talk to your twin brother, you know, even if he doesn’t call as much as I’d like.”

So Grey had told her. I don’t know why that surprises me so much, but a rush of betrayal goes through me. Grey and I had always been a team when it came to our parents. We distracted each other when they fought. Stuck to our carefully agreed upon lies when one of them would ask about the other. Promised each other that no matter what happened with the custody fight, we’d stick together.

The fact that he told her about Adam makes me feel ashamed and so hurt I can’t speak for a moment.

“He worries about you,” she says, as if reading my mind.

“I don’t needyouto defend Grey tome,” I snap.

“What does that mean?” she asks quietly. “You don’t needmeto defend him?”

But there’s no way I’m going there, not right now. “If you knew about Adam, why didn’t you say something?”

“I figured you would tell me if you wanted my opinion.” She taps a fingernail against the tiled table top. My mom has always had beautiful hands. When I was a little girl, I used to climb in her lap and run my fingers over the long, smooth nails, always painted in such pretty colors. She doesn’t paint her nails anymore, and she keeps them short. Probably because she does actual work now, more than just looking pretty on camera.

“But I think we both know what you think of my opinions, June.”

My head snaps up to gape at her. “What does that mean?”

Her expression has finally lost some of its calm, replaced by something tight. “Please. You have no desire to hear what I think about the choices you make.”

“Because I already know!” I burst out. “You’ve made it perfectly clear that you don’t think I should be acting. That you don’t think I should live in LA or work for Grandpa or see Dad—”