Page 8 of Empty Net

I roll my lips into a flat line, answering her without saying a word.

“I swear, that woman,” Auden seethes. “I hate that she talks to you like that. If she understood half of the shit you did for me, she’d shut her trap.” She winces. “Sorry, I know she’s your mother, it’s just…”

I shake my head. “No, I get it. She’s infuriating.”

“What did she want this time?”

“Oh, you know, just to remind me that I’m going to spend the rest of my life alone and bitter because I’m unmarried and haven’t popped out ten kids, even though I’m barely even thirty years old.”

“That’s not how that works, but okay.”

“Andthat she’s ‘found the most delightful guy’ for me to bring as a date to my father’s party next weekend.”

“Wait—she foundyoua date? Does she not realize dating is like your favorite thing to do?”

I know Auden doesn’t mean it any certain way, and this isn’t the first time she’s made a comment like this, but this time…I don’t know. It stings a little, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because everyone around me is falling into serious relationships and “growing up” just like my mother says, and I’m still…well, I’m just me.

I shove the thoughts aside and nod. “Yes, she’s found me a date, and I have zero intentions of finding out who that ‘delightful guy’ is, especially after her last attempt with Inspector Doug.”

“Ugh. Those suspenders.” She shudders, thinking of the guy I very begrudgingly let my mother set me up with last time. He wore suspenders, an old-fashioned detective coat,and a monocle…all unironically. It was terrible. “Please tell me you told her no.”

“I did. I told her I’m seeing someone.”

“But you’re not.”

I shrug. “So? I’ll find someone.”

“Lilah…” She lays her hand on my arm. “This isyour motherwe’re talking about here. You know she’s going to run with this, right?”

I wave off her worry. “Trust me, I won’t let it get that far. It’s just one night. No big deal.”

“Okay,” Auden says, but something in that one word tells me she doesn’t believe me.

I appreciate her concern. I really do. But it’s not like I’m planning to marry the guy. It’s just one date. I’ll tell my mother we broke up afterward. At least it’ll keep her off my back until the next big event I have to make an appearance at.

“You know, instead of saying you’re dating someone, you could just block her number…” Auden lifts her brows.

“Have you blocked your mother yet?”

She tucks her lips together, knowing full well she has no room to talk when it comes to toxic relationships with parents. Auden and her father? They’re closer than close. But Auden and her mother? Well, that’s a whole different story. Her relationship with her mother is just as complicated as mine, if not more so.

“All right. Fine. No more talk of mothers. Let’s swing back around to how amazing this party is. Everything’s good so far, right?”

“Yep. Perfect.” I decide not to worry her about the latest mishap. The less she knows, the less she has to stress about, which was my goal when stepping in to help plan this.

“There you two are.” Hutch, Auden’s boyfriend, appears at her side with a nod in my direction. “Lilah.”

“Hutch.” I nod back, face straight.

But it’s only moments before I break, a full smile pulling at my lips as I launch myself into his arms for a big, feet-off-the-ground kind of hug. With him and Auden dating, Hutch and I have become good friends, and I view him as the brother I never had. Not only because he treats my girl like a queen, but also because he’s genuinely a good guy once you get past his gruff exterior.

“This place looks amazing.” He sets me back on my expensive heels.

“Your girlfriend did all the wo—ow!” I rub the spot on my arm where Auden just pinched me. “What was that for?”

“Stop passing it off on me.”

“Hutch, tell your girlfriend to stop pinching me.”

---