Page 98 of You and Me, For Real
“It’s only for two more months.”
I can manage that, right?
I have to.
Now that Ashton’s opened up, and we’ve reached this new level of connection, there’s no way I’m going backward.
“If you say so. Just don’t let your dad catch wind of this. He won’t be too happy you’re testing the boundaries of your contract.”
I swipe my hands across my face. “My father. Funny you should mention him. He was at the party, too.”
“Oh?”
“With his new girlfriend.”
Luke laughs. “What else is new?”
I grip the edge of the counter with both hands and lean forward, “Who also happens to be Ashton’s mom.”
His face screws up into a mixture of disgust and confusion. “Seriously? Why was she there? What’s she like?”
“Honestly? Fake as all get-out.”
“What do you mean?”
“She played nice, but even her tone grated my skin. Ashton told me more about her relationship with her mom last night, and it’s not good. She’s awful, actually. Controlling and manipulative.”
“Kind of sounds like another parent I know,” he mumbles into his mug.
I’m not sure if he’s referring to his dad or mine. Although, I’ve allowed myself to be manipulated by my father—a habit I can’t help if I want him to stick around.
“What did Ashton say about her mom being there? Or the fact that she and your dad—” he shivers “—were together.”
Luke already knew about Ashton being on reality TV. He’d asked why she was choosing to use her blog’s name instead of her own when we set up her socials. But he didn’t know the depth of her complicated relationship with her mother.
“She doesn’t know.” My stomach tosses, rejecting that third cup of coffee. I didn’t want to ruin our epic night last night, so I never said anything.
“What do you mean she doesn’t know? Didn’t she see them at the party same as you?”
I shake my head. “She took off before Dad arrived to wrap his arm around his new flavor of the month.” I shudder.
“Are you going to tell her?”
I have to—eventually. But I’m not ready to explode the tentative growth we’ve made. “At some point.”
“Dude, you can’t keep that kind of thing from her. What happens when y’all get together for some kind of family dinner? That’d be quite the reunion.”
I rub my brow line. “I know, I know. I will. Just not today.”
“It’s your funeral.”
I refresh my email to distract myself. A new one comes through my inbox. I click to open it. “Yes!”
Luke rounds the counter to stand next to me. “What is it?”
“I looked into some venues last night. Ashton wants to host a gala for her rescue to secure more sponsors.”
“Okay, so why are you looking? Shouldn’t this be her project?”
