Page 6 of Wicked Flirt
He rubbed his temple.
Lexi stood. “I’ll go apologize. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
He shook his head. “I’ll deal with it.”
“Tell her I’m sorry, okay? I only wanted to help.”
He nodded once, quickly tucked the food into cabinets and the refrigerator, took a deep breath, and headed for his mom’s room.
He knocked. No reply. “Mom, it’s me. I wanted to say goodbye.”
“Come in.”
He opened the door. She was sitting up against the headboard with the TV on at a low volume. She grabbed the remote and muted it.
“Close the door behind you,” she said.
He did and walked over to her side. “Sorry if Lexi crossed the line. She meant well. She feels bad and asked me to apologize for her. I didn’t think you’d want her in here.”
“I don’t like her. She’s coarse, no sensitivity. You don’t just walk into someone’s home unannounced and then act judgmental, doling out advice. Obviously she doesn’t respect her elders—”
“Mom, you’re not elderly at all.”
His mom’s fingers tightened in the blanket. “I am her elder and she treated me disrespectfully. I don’t want you to see her anymore, is that clear? And she’s not welcome in my home.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. He definitely should’ve prepped Lexi better. This was supposed to be step one in helping his mom. Now it was blown out of the water. What hope did he have of helping her on his own? She wouldn’t listen to him. He had no idea what to do next.
His mom grabbed his hand with icy fingers. “Swear you won’t see her anymore.”
She was in a fragile state and he didn’t want to upset her any further. “I swear.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Text or call if you need anything else.”
She tucked herself under the covers, pulling them up to her chin. “Thank you, Marcus.”
He headed out, the burden heavy on his shoulders once again. Just before he went through the doorway, he muttered sarcastically under his breath, “We’re getting married next week.”
“Over my dead body,” his mom called. The woman had super hearing.
That went well. Not.
He found Lexi standing in the living room, her coat already on. He inclined his head toward the door. “Let’s go.”
The moment they were outside, Lexi asked, “Did you tell her I was sorry? Is she still mad at me?”
He couldn’t tell her she was banished from his mom’s house and his life forever, so he hedged a bit. “She’s just really sensitive.”
“I feel terrible.”
“Sorry I brought you into this.” Failure was not an option, but he was running out of options. He opened the car door for her and shut it behind her.
Once they were back on the street, Lexi said, “You really should get Sabrina over here. She could get her started with some individual counseling. I’m sure she’d be willing to make a house call. And then, at some point, your mom could see a professional in an office.”
He clenched his jaw. “Don’t you get it? She hated that idea. Didn’t you notice how worked up she got at the suggestion?”
“Has she met Sabrina?”
“No.”
“So she has no idea how easy it is to talk to her. Don’t you find just being near Sabrina is relaxing? She’s always so calm and composed, her voice nice and even. A steady sort.”
