Page 67 of Perfectly Faked

I could have said something.Should have.But letting her in feels harder than letting her go.

Victoria enters the room with a tray of water and snacks. I shoot Tina a look.

“Thank you, but unfortunately, I have to head out,” she says, taking the glass of water.

“Already?” Victoria’s smile fades as she looks between Tina and me. “But you just got here.”

Tina downs the water quickly. “Need to find a hotel room. My electricity’s out.”

Victoria frowns. “I’m so sorry. You know, you could take my bed and I could sleep on the couch. It wouldn’t be any problem.”

“I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” Tina says, glancing at me before she sets the glass on the tray.

“Maybe next time you can have dinner with us, then?” Victoria asks, following Tina to the door.

“If you can talk this guy into it.” She hooks her thumb at me before turning to Victoria. “Thank you for being so kind. You seem good for Leo. I hope you make each other very happy.”

Victoria smiles. “You have a really amazing son.”

“I know,” Tina says softly before heading out the door. “Anyway, you’ve got my vote.”

As Tina’s old sedan rumbles away from the house, Victoria looks at me with a puzzled smile. “Tina seems really nice. I’m glad I got to meet her.”

“She obviously likes you,” I grumble, heading back into the living room.

Victoria follows me, crossing her arms. “Why are you acting so weird?”

I straighten the couch pillows where Tina was sitting. “What?”

“Your birth mother shows up at your door, and the whole time I get the feeling you don’t want her here.”

“I don’t,” I say, keeping my face turned away.

“Why not?” she says, not letting it go.

I guess if we’re going to go there, we’re doing it now. “She has problems, Vic,” I say sharply.

“We all have problems, Leo,” she says. “I know your MO is pretending like you’re untouchable, but you were rude to her.”

“You don’t know how she can be,” I grumble before brushing past her into the kitchen. “She can be just as rude.”

“Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, then,” she fires back.

I stop mid-step, my voice barely controlled. “I don’t ever want to be compared to her. And I don’t want to have this conversation now.”

I stride into the kitchen, hoping Victoria will let go of talking about Tina. We had such an incredible day together. I don’t want it to end like this.

“We need to have it sometime.” Victoria follows me to the kitchen, leaning against the frame. “How could you let that woman sit on your front porch without even inviting her inside? That isn’t the Leo I know.”

I stay on the other side of the kitchen. “It’s better that way, believe me. You don’t know her.” Truth is, I don’t want Victoria to know her. I’m not proud of who Tina’s become, and I hate being the one who has to pick up the pieces when her life spirals out of control. It’s exhausting. And eventually, Victoria will realize it too.

Then what? My greatest fear is that she’ll think I’m destined to end up the same. She already said the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Victoria’s face softens, and she crosses the kitchen toward me. “Leo, I don’t know what happened between you and her. But whatever it was, that was a long time ago.”

I hold up my hand to stop her. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

Victoria frowns. “Who else can she go to if not family?”

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