Page 185 of Swallow Your Sorries

“It’s a little loose.” He notes, frowning at the baby blue fabric.

I swat his hand away. “I forgot to update the sizes on my wishlist before Mum bought me a few things.”

There’s no way in hell I’m going to tell him that she won a scratcher.

Mum hadn’t answered my thank you text. In fact, she hadn’t contacted me at all since that day in the sex shop. But it’s normal for ‘single’ Mums who are going through a midlife crisis to go ghost for a while, right? I mean, that’s clearly what’s happening. Mum’s trying to reclaim her youth through nostalgia. That’s why she came all the way back into town, again, to visit the Water Hole, right? Sure, it was Jarett’s favourite bar, but she’d introduced him to it. It was her favourite first.

She’s just trying to reclaim some of that carefreeness she used to have now that Jarett and I are gone. That’s all…

Or that’s all I keep telling myself.

“So she did,” Gant says and I don’t know how to take it, given his lack of a tone.

I swear he despised Mum. But how can he when he doesn’t even know her?

He just knows what you told him, that annoying little inner voice coos in my ear.

Still, it’s not his place to worry about Jaime.

You worry about Bart. You have ever since Gant told you that his father keeps a portrait of his deceased mother in their home.

“Why did you need to change your sizes?” Gant asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.

I shrug. “I lost a little weight, that’s all.”

His frown deepens, and he grabs my wrist as I try to slide past him and watch Sylo’s audition.

“Why?”

“Why do you think?” I try to snap my wrist back, but he only holds me tighter. “You made sure I couldn’t eat in the hall.”

Sure the minions had backed off, but I hadn’t chanced a repeat, not when Zedd forced a ton of his cooking on Stassi who gave me damn near all of it. I’d probably be back to my normal size in a month so long as Zedd doesn’t find out who he’s actually feeding.

I have no idea what the other male untouchables think of me now, but after my experience with Hale and Bae before the lake debacle, I prefer to stay clear of them. Dealing with one jackass was more than enough.

I try to shift away from him, but I don’t make it a step before he’s pulling on the strap of my leotard and dragging me back towards him. From the corner of my eye, I spot a few senior girls watching.Gawking.His touch is too gentle, too intimate to be bullying as he tugs on the neckline, his knuckles bruising my breast.

Quickly, I turn my back to them.

“It’s a little loose.” He notes, frowning at the baby blue fabric.

I swat his hand away. “I forgot to update the sizes on my wishlist before Mum bought me a few things.”

There’s no way in hell I’m going to tell him that she won a scratcher.

Mum hadn’t answered my thank you text. In fact, she hadn’t contacted me at all since that day in the sex shop. But it’s normal for ‘single’ Mums who are going through a midlife crisis to go ghost for a while, right? I mean, that’s clearly what’s happening. Mum’s trying to reclaim her youth through nostalgia. That’s why she came all the way back into town, again, to visit the Watering Hole, right? Sure, it was Jarett’s favourite bar, but she’d introduced him to it. It was her favourite first.

She’s just trying to reclaim some of that carefreeness she used to have now that Jarett and I are gone. That’s all…

Or that’s all I keep telling myself.

“So she did,” Gant says and I don’t know how to take it, given his lack of a tone.

I swear he despises Mum. But how can he when he doesn’t even know her?

He just knows what you told him, that annoying little inner voice coos in my ear.

Still, it’s not his place to worry about Jaime.

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