Page 77 of The Thorne at My Side
"How do you expect me to do that?" I ask as she slides a glass of wine over the counter to me.
"Be practical. Tell her no." I laugh but Liz’s face is stern. "I'm serious, Nora has tried. There are lists galore and budgets and plans but she won't stop looking for new things to do."
If Nora Heely, my sister's best friend and most organized person I've met, can't get control of Mom, I'm not sure I'll be much help.
“Is that where she is now?”
“Probably. I don’t know who introduced her to Facebook Marketplace but she is absolutely obsessed with it and checks it constantly.”
"Is there a theme?" I ask.
"Winter wonderland," Kyle chimes in as he pops the top off a bottle of beer.
"Seriously, the possibilities are endless," Liz adds after a sip.
"I'll see what I can do." I mutter as I take my glass with me to the sofa. Liz and Kyle follow. Thank goodness they were waiting for me at Mom and Dad’s. It will be nice to ease into being home without incessant questions about why, or how long, or what happened.
"So, I want to know all the stuff you haven't told Mom," Liz says as she sits down with me. Maybe not such a calm reentry. Kyle perches himself behind her on the armrest.
"I hate to ask this but, do you already know everything I've told Mom?"
"Well, I'm not sure if it's everything but, Mom blew up the book club chat right after you called her."
"You're a Tome Raider?" I ask with an eyebrow raised because the book club group chat is notorious for being more about town gossip than about the books they're reading.
"I was tired of having to use Mom as my source." Liz says with a shrug. "There has been some exciting shit happening around here, I mean nothing as glamorous as a presidential campaign, but Angie and Jimmy's TV show is pretty fancy."
"You don't have to tell me, I bet Lakeville life is twice as exciting as D.C.,” I mutter quietly.
"I doubt that, but is boredom the reason you left? Mom said you lost the job, sorry aboutthat by the way, I know how much it sucks."
"Thanks," I give her a salute with my wine.
"But, if you want to get another job, why wouldn't you stay?"
“D.C. isn't as small as Lakeville but it has its moments," I say and Liz's eyes grow wide.
"You've got an ex!" She proclaims and turns her body to fully face me on the sofa, tucking her legs up under her criss cross applesauce style. Her wine sloshes dangerously close to the edge of her glass with the movement but it doesn't spill over.
Kyle laughs and stands, "I'm gonna go watch whatever game your dad has on in the basement."
He kisses the top of Liz's head as he walks away. I feel a sharp pang of jealousy. It’s similar to the kiss on my temple Austin gave me when he crashed my date but I didn’t realize until seeing it here that I want that type of affection from a partner.
"He's not an ex," I say, getting straight to the point. If my mom is a bull dog for gossip my sister is a wolf. "I had two different situationships going I guess."
"Two?"
"Well, one was real. Or," I let out a frustrated puff of air. "Okay, I started a sex arrangement with someone I was working with. Just sex. No feelings. I actually hate his guts."
"Go on," Liz prompts with excitement in her eyes.
"And the other was," I look up at the ceiling and pull my lips in between my teeth. I close my eyes, turn back to Liz, open my eyes and say, "just texts."
"Just texts?" She repeats to confirm.
"He was a guy I was texting. I don't even know his name. I don't know who he is or what he does or what he looks like but I know that I am,” I pause and regroup, “Well, Iwasdeveloping feelings for him and I miss talking to him every day."
"You didn't want to meet him?"
