Page 80 of His White Moonlight
“Do you like him?”
The question was laced with an angry growl and delivered close to my ear.
“I don’t like anyone, Bennett.I know better.Liking people gets me sent away.I was asking because I was curious, and I thought after our little breakthrough, you might give me a real answer.Guess I was wrong.Now, can we go inside and eat?”
He stepped closer.
I ducked under his arm and fled to the house before he completely lost it.
Why did it always feel like one step forward and two steps back with him?
Once I was safely in my room with the door closed, I let out a long breath, relieved that I had averted another crisis, and went to change into my pajamas.I wasn’t ready for bed yet but wanted to change the bandages and apply more ointment.
My phone buzzed with messages while I worked, and I wondered which parts of today Bennett had shared with Mom.The tripping incident this morning?Unlikely.If he’d wanted to share that, he would have done so right away.And I knew he hadn’t because she hadn’t called.
I paused with a frown.
Wait…he’d saidtheywere worried after what happened and had touched my scrapes.Did that mean Mom knew andhadn’tcalled to check on me?What the hell?
My phone buzzed again.
If it wasn’t the tripping, it probably wasn’t my meet-up with Sophia either.After all, he’d found me there, and they hadn’t reached out after that, which meant he’d let them know where I was and who I was with.
And if it’d been the talk before my nap, there would have been texts waiting for me when I woke.The only messages had been from before he’d found me.
That meant they were messaging me because of my conversation with Walt in the elevator or my question to Bennett just now when we’d gotten home.
My bet was the latter.
I closed my eyes and coached myself.
You’ve been through much worse, Wren.Sure, it was because of their smothering love, but that’s in the past.Keep your cool in the present so you can have an amazing future—a future with no mean girls, no injuries, and no restrictions.
Letting out a calming breath, I opened my eyes, smiled at myself in the mirror until it felt real, then finished redressing my scrapes before grabbing my phone.
Mom: Bennett mentioned your frustration today, and I’m sorry.
Mom: I talked to Dad.You’re right.We should have a family conversation about your future.Are you free tomorrow night?
Bennett: I’m sorry.Can we have dinner together and talk?
Bennett: I have more chocolate.
My inner peace had an eye twitch as I read through all of that a second time.Am I free?I didn’t have a life.Of course I was free.
And Bennett could shove his chocolate up his chocolate factory.
“No mean girls, no injuries, and no restrictions,” I mumbled to myself as I typed out a response to Mom.
Me: Of course I’m free for dinner tomorrow.Where, when, and how am I getting there?
Mom: I’ll let Bennett know the details.He can drive so your hands can heal.
“Pfft.Right.”I left my phone on my vanity and went downstairs instead of messaging Bennett.
He was pacing in the kitchen while the bag of food sat on the counter.He stopped when I entered and watched as I grabbed the bag and turned around.
“I told you it wouldn’t take long,” I said as I marched out of the kitchen.
