Page 118 of Tomorrow Belongs to Us
“Will you two grow up!” I yell, when Jensen drops one of my books. Sometimes I still feel like the only responsible adult around them. “Leave it. I'll pack my books.” I rush to pick it up and dust it. Books are my prized possessions. I never bend the spine. I never fold a page. I treat my books as good as I’d treat my pets, if I had any. “You two go and clear the table and—”
My mom shrieks and I hear angry words, but I can’t make them out. I wonder why she's having an altercation with the pizza guy. Rushing to the door, I stop in my tracks when I see Lance standing staring at me.
Oh. God. No.
“What is he doing here?” My mother snarls. Erica and Jensen come to the door.
“You said you broke up with him!” my sister cries.
Only Jensen stays quiet.
“What do you want?” I ask, noticing that his eyes are tired and more wrinkled than I remember.
“Can't you leave her alone?” my mom yells at him.
“Mom, stop it.”
“I won't stop it. This man has been sniffing around you and I won't have it now.”
“He's not—”
“Ma'am, with all due respect I would like to—”
My mother jabs a finger at him. “You can stick your due respect down your throat. You should have been locked away years ago for what you did.”
“Mom!” This is unacceptable. Lance’s face hardens at the accusation.
“Mom, give the man a chance.” Jensen says.
“Why are you here?” I ask Lance again.
“You returned my book.” There’s a look in his eyes. A glimmer of something, hope, perhaps. Lesley has obviously told him about our conversation.
“And?” I school my expression to being blank and try not to focus too much on the way the thick wool jumper clings to his body. Or the way his suede coat contrasts with it. Or the way his eyes are an electric blue, and his lips are so red. He’s too gorgeous for a man, and the extreme cold outside only accentuates his perfect features even more.
“You're leaving, and I wanted to say something.”
“Goodbye, I hope.” My mom again. She can't stop herself.
“I love your daughter, ma'am. I love her and nothing you say can change that.”
Erica gasps.
“Oh, boy.” Jensen rubs the back of his neck.
It doesn’t stop my mother. “You're a disgusting man. You’re old enough to be her—”
“I was worried about Megan at school, and if I made a mistake then it was that I—”
Oh.No.No. No. No. He doesn't need to come clean with my mother about what happened that night. He doesn't owe her an explanation or anything.
“You don't need to say anything,” I tell him.
“If I made a mistake, it was that I walked away and left her to deal with the fall out. I've always regretted that.”
Just then the pizza guy arrives and thankfully Jensen takes the pizzas, takes the money from my mom and hands it to the guy, and then herds my mom and sister into the kitchen.
Lance finally comes inside, and I close the door.
