Page 106 of Gone for You

“Wait,” I hear, and think it’s her mom shouting again but can’t be sure because I hang up before she can continue.

I wanted closure and I got it.

It just wasn’t the kind of closure I wanted.

Chapter 44

Olivia

“Mom! What the hell?”

“You needed to tell him!”

“Well thanks for that. What do you think he heard? Why did he hang up?”

She winces — not giving me a single warm and fuzzy. “My guess is he heard you shouting there’s nothing between the two of you.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” She raises her eyebrows. “That’s all you have to say about it?”

“What else am I supposed to say? It’s the truth – he knows it, too.”Liar.

“Aren’t you tired of living a lie?”

I let out an incredulous laugh. “Really, Mom? You’re gonna go there with me? If anyone has been living a lie, it’s been you. Swinging this way and that.”

“And look where living a life of lies got me.”

I swallow hard and look at my lap. I can’t argue her point there. Her lies managed to get her a daughter and son who are both petrified of commitment. Not that knowing our parents were swingers would have made either of us any more confident in relationships, but thinking that my parents just suddenly started cheating on each other because they fell out of love wasn’t good, either.

“I think…” my phone rings again and our attention snaps to it. My heart rate picks up, simultaneously hoping it’s Ethan and praying it isn’t.

We both lean over to where my phone is sitting on the coffee table. My spirits drop when I see Lily’s name lighting up my screen.

Mom has an equal look of disappointment and pity that makes me want to cry. Again.

I could ignore it, considering my present company is all her fault. But her annoying insistence on helping and being there for her friends and family is too damn endearing and one of the things I love most about her.

I hit go and barely have my hello out of my mouth before she launches in with, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what else to do and knew you’d gone just… off the deep end and Grady stopped in The Goat and said that Ethan was —well, a mother effer of a bear – were his exact words. And I just knew something had gone down between you two and I had to do something. I’m so sorry, I’m really so sorry. I didn’t mean to let it all slip when your mom called me but I couldn’t hold it in any longer and I blame the hormones because they’re taking over my life.”

She stops talking abruptly and I ask, “Hormones?”

She laughs nervously while I hear deep male laughter in the background. Lily groans. “I’m the worst. I can’t keep my damn mouth shut to save my life.”

“What hormones, Lily?” I ask her in a teasing tone, even though I’m pretty sure I know what she’s going to tell me.

“Honeymoon,” she murmurs.

“Yes,” I hedge, “you and Drew went on a honeymoon.”

Her voice becomes high pitched when she squeaks, “And may have come back with a little souvenir.”

“Growing in your stomach?”

There’s hesitation before she answers, “Yes?”

“Lily?”

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