Page 9 of The Pumpkin Spice Romance
“Aiyah, you can’t be like that, Nee. You’re an adult now.”
“Thanks for reminding me, Mum,” Leonie replied in a low voice, as polite as she could be so as not to give her dad an excuse to lecture her about how she spoke to her mother. She gripped the edge of the table, not wanting to cause a scene in a crowded restaurant, but not wanting to just let this go. She never fought back when her parents whisked her to a new home over an hour’s drive from her old life.
Shecouldn’tfight back, not at that age. And now at thirty-three, she knew better than to argue in that loud, shouty, hurtful way that would break any parent’s heart. They may have been unreasonable about some things, but they did provide her with a comfortable life—the number of times she’d come out of her room at night, and her mother would get up to make her a snack; the first car her father bought her so she wouldn’t have to catch the bus to uni in the rain. Even though some frustrated part of her wanted to kick and scream and tell her parents to back off, the rest of her knew that wouldn’t get her what she wanted. Sheknew she was doing the right thing, whether they understood or not, whether they agreed or not.
She didn’t want to argue with her parents—in a way, she didn’t need to.
She just wanted to act of her own accord, not be cajoled or manipulated into decisions, not just take the path of least resistance into a life she didn’t want because it was easier than doing the hard thing, the disapproved-of thing. She grabbed her handbag.
“You’re right, I’m an adult,” she said, quietly. “And I’m going out to think. I’ll see you at home later.”
The fist inside her loosened its grip on her heart the further she got from the restaurant. The roaring in her ears subsided, giving way to her rhythmic breath and boots on the sidewalk. She did it—no scene, no admonishment, no argument, just a quiet exit. She never turned around to see how her parents would react. She just paid for dinner on the way out, zipped up her coat, picked a random direction, and walked.
She left on her own steam. This was her, swimming against the tide, making her own decision. It would have been so easy to give into frustration, but that was a kind of giving in too. This was Leonie, fighting in her own way. And it felt good.
She reached a small grassy park, well lit at night. She remembered this place—it was where she used to come after her parents moved them to this area. She’d sit here and miss Sam and Hayden, until eventually her new school and new friends absorbed her, and she went with the flow that swept her awayfrom her old life. But now she sat on the swing over the sandpit and remembered missing them, thankful they were both in her life again at last.
Her phone buzzed in her bag. She took it out, expecting a stern instruction from Mum or Dad, telling her to come home. But it was a text from Hayden.
FURBALL MOORE
Don't suppose you're free tonight?
ME
My evening just became available
FURBALL MOORE
Movie night with my sibs. Wanna come?
ME
Love to. Where are you?
He texted his address, and she punched it into a rideshare app. The trip would cost a bit, but it’d be worth it just to get her mind off everything for a while before going home later. But just before she booked the ride, he texted again to ask where she was. He’d pick her up instead.
Fifteen minutes later, she climbed into Hayden’s car, and they headed for the gourmet trattoria not far from her parents’ house. “I offered to shout the fancy pizza, no strings attached,” he said.
“How’d you know I lived here, though?”
“You said your folks were south of the river, so I took a chance.”
“I might have meant Mandurah. You could have been driving for ages.”
Hayden shrugged it off with a smile. “For you? I don’t mind.”
6
Hayden’s home sat at the leafy edge of an old suburb. Nestled between a dog park and a school, and not far from the weekend markets Leonie’s parents used to frequent with their friends, Leonie seemed surprised to find him south of the river too.
“But it’s so far from the café,” she said, boots clacking up the path to the front door.
Hayden glowed at the sensation of her just next to him, both of them on the fuzzy welcome mat under the golden porch light. “I kind of like it,” he replied, shifting the stack of hot pizzas in his arms. “It’s only 20 minutes up the freeway, a good amount of time to unwind or think.”
Cheers greeted them as they entered, growing in elation as his pack realised Leonie was right behind him. Lara seemed glad if a little smug, because of course Hayden would invite her over, and of course she’d say yes. Mackie was pleased the incident the other day hadn’t scared her off, while his twin Deanne absolutely remembered the human girl who stood up for her big brother against a bunch of bullies all those years ago.
If Deanne had been shifted, her tail would’ve wagged her out the door, and Hayden couldn’t help but smile at seeing his once favourite human fitting right in with his family.
