Page 73 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

It’s just a dress. Nothing fancy. No frills or ruffles or lace: just a plain black dress. But by the look on his face, I’d say it’s not entirely boring.

‘Seriously, Hols. You’re beautiful.’

I laugh to myself. ‘There you go lying again.’ I wink. ‘Dare I say, you’re pretty too.’

His grin grows. ‘Might you even say, sexy as hell?’

‘Funny,’ I say, turning to look him over better.

He’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a single dandelion flower, the text readingIf you were a flower, you’d be adamndelion.

‘I love the shirt.’

He glances down at himself. ‘Too much? I’ve been saving it for the right occasion. You think this is it?’

‘I think it’s perfect. You’re truly the flower boy in every way.’

We ride to the bar silently, staring out of the windows with our own thoughts. He smells good. Some light, clean scent I can’t place but I like it.

‘You guys!’ My mom greets us as we walk into the bar. ‘This is so exciting!’

Dax is pulled away by his friends, glancing at me as he disappears into the bar and flashing me a grin that makes my heart do a little spin.

‘You need a drink?’ Mom asks, pulling me towards the bar by my hand.

‘Yes, yep, I need a drink. Possibly, a few.’

‘I knew you got a leastsomeof my genes,’ she says enthusiastically. ‘Drinks on me,’ she says.

As we walk towards the bar she begins talking. ‘I want to thank you for doing such a good job at the shop earlier this week. A couple of my regulars called me, and they raved on and on about you and your sunny self. I haven’t heard that about you in years.’

‘Really?’

Who could have called her? The place wasn’t even that busy. There was an hour where it was just me, and I worried that maybe the shop wasn’t doing well and how Mom would take that. Leave it to me to create a problem that doesn’t exist.

‘I’m proud of you, Hols. You’re doing things out of your comfort zone, and you seem…happy?’

Am I happy? Besides the Tristan and Victoria thing, I think I am.

‘I missed happy, bubbly Hollyn.’

‘You did?’ I’ve been gone for eight years, and not once has she ever uttered the words, I miss you.

‘Of course I did.’ She wraps an arm around me, pulling me against her. ‘You’re my only daughter, and I was a bit of an attention whore of a mom. That couldn’t have been easy. Parents make mistakes too, and I now see that I was always trying to be your friend more than your mother, but that’s not what you needed. I’m sorry. Maybe we could be friends now?’

What is happening? Did she just apologize?

‘Wow,’ I say, flustered enough to have all other words escape me. ‘You saying that means a lot, Mom. Thank you.’

‘Four shots of tequila!’ she says to the bartender.

There’s the mom I know. I should probably apologize in return, considering Dax made me realize I’ve hurt people more than I thought when we talked about me leaving everyone behind the other day. The look on his face broke my heart, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

The bartender sets the four shot glasses on the bar, filling them to the top, spilling some on the counter.

‘Mom,’ I say before she can get started on the shots she’s ordered. ‘I’m sorry too. I’ve been a terrible daughter. Self-centered and secretive. It wasn’t fair of me to cut you out. Maybe you guys can forgive me?’

She cocks her head with a sweet grin. The same one she’d use when she’d have these kinds of heart-to-heart talks with us as kids.

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