Page 31 of Defiant
Could I say goodbye to Jacob Hall? Even with Vaughn’s lips fused to mine, I didn’t know the answer to that.
Chapter Nine – Jaz
Mom was positively thrilled—and also insanely annoying—the very moment I came home with Bobbi. Her blonde hair was in a loose ponytail, her body wearing a white shirt and light jeans, the outfit she normally wore while Ollie was at work and she was busy cleaning or doing laundry. Whatever the hell it was she did during the day to keep up with a house this obscenely large.
Did she find the money yet? Who knew. She sure didn’t say anything to me about it. Maybe it’d take her a while, since she wasn’t exactly grabbing her purse and going out shopping while the van was in the shop.
I mean, I assumed my mom would tell me about the money. Who else would she think it came from? Ollie? Yeah, no.
Mom followed us into the living room, where I led Bobbi. I dropped my bag onto the floor, while Bobbi carefully set hers on a chair. “Do you girls want any snacks? I’m sure I could whip something up.” I’d already introduced them, so my mom now acted like this was some kind of playdate.
It wasn’t. It was just me and a classmate working on choir songs. You know, the usual.
“No, thank you,” Bobbi spoke, giving my mom a wide smile. Her highlighted brown hair was drawn up in a lazy bun, an off-the-shoulder sweater on her torso, complete with leggings tucked into short, ankle-high boots. Even when Bobbi dressed lazily, she still looked amazing. Most people in Midpark had that superpower, I’d realized.
If there was anyone from Midpark High I’d want to bring home and introduce to my mom, I supposed it was Bobbi. Unlike nearly everyone else, Bobbi hadn’t joined in the chorus and laughed at what happened at the party. In fact, she was the only one in the whole school that had told me she was sorry it happened. I had no idea if she was genuine in her sympathy, but it was nice to have one person who wasn’t ganging up on you with everyone else.
In spite of everything, I found I kind of liked Bobbi.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, shaking my head. The last thing I wanted to do right now was eat. Plus, my mom was no cook. She was getting better as the days wore on here—being Oliver Fitzpatrick’s live-in maid and cook was forcing her to be a better cook.
My mom stood near the archway to the living room, her hands clasped in front of her stomach, a huge grin on her face as she stared between us. I stared right back, because I sure as hell did not need an audience during my pitiful practicing. Like, all those times when I said I sounded like a dead cat was not me trying to be funny or exaggerating. That was me being one hundred percent serious.
“Mom,” I said, snapping her out of it.
My mom blinked, straightened her back, saying, “Right. I’ll let you girls get to it. If you change your mind, I’ll be in the kitchen prepping for dinner.” With another smile, my mom left—though she took her good old time walking away.
Bobbi waited a while, until after she was certain my mom was nowhere in earshot, before saying, “Your mom seems nice.” She stood in the center of the living room, rubbing her hand along her other arm, looking completely out of place here.
Or maybe that was just me, not being used to having anyone over.
Hah, could you imagine the aneurism my mom would have if I brought Vaughn over? She would literally die, rise up as a ghost, and then kill me.
“She is,” I said, moving away from where my mom had disappeared and closer to her. I did add in a whisper, “A little overbearing, though.”
That seemed to surprise Bobbi. “Really? How so?” Her hazel eyes roamed the large room, eventually settling on the mantle, where a bunch of pictures were—pictures of Ollie’s family. The photographs of the twins that had disappeared especially drew her attention.
I guess I couldn’t blame her there, because those twins were strikingly attractive.
I moved beside her, letting my stare take in the pictures along with her. “She doesn’t want me dating, would never let me invite any boys over, and she is anal about me not talking to anyone from my old school.” An image of a sexy, tattooed, dangerous man popped into my head as I spoke.
Dante.
Where was he? I couldn’t help but wonder. That was a man that made you weak at the knees and horny simultaneously, all the while knowing he could kill you and probably laugh while doing it.
I still couldn’t get over how Dante had basically kidnapped me, forced me to go with him…and then just let me go? After spending the day with me, of course. He might be a little over the top, but he wasn’t awful to be around. He definitely didn’t belong in Midpark.
“That’s strange,” Bobbi remarked, finally dragging her gaze away from the pictures to stare at me. “Why?”
Shrugging, I said, “I don’t know.” Well, now I had some idea, because with everything that was said before the party, me learning my mom knew who my father was…I did think it had something to do with that.
Hell, maybe even Dante. The way he’d talked, as if we knew each other, did make me wonder.
Bobbi thought on this, eventually saying, “I’m sure your mom is just trying to protect you. I wish mine had cared enough to stick around and do the same.” That was dangerously close to sharing something private with me, and it made me confused.
We were friends? It’d been so long since I’d had to make them, I was a bit rusty. I mean, I thought Bobbi was alright, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say we were buddies.
Right?
