Page 45 of Grease Monkey
“Morgana,” she warns.
“You’re right. We don’t belong here.” I turn to Teddy and lace my fingers with his. “Let’s go.”
“Morgana, if you leave with that… that…”
“Boyfriend,” I say, straightening my spine and locking eyes with hers. My heart hammers under my ribs, and my free hand begins to shake, so I hide it behind my back.
So this is what standing up for what I want feels like.
Like a heart attack, and I could faint at any moment.
Oh God, this is horrible.
Keep it together, Morgana. The quicker you break the ties she holds around you, the easier it will be.
“Boyfriend?” Mom asks, her lip curling in disgust.
I nod.
“We’ll be having words when you get home tonight.”
“Sunday night,” Teddy corrects, his hand slipping to my waist to hold my hip possessively. “I’m taking her away for the weekend for her birthday.”
“You will not. I won’t allow it. This is kidnap. Morgana, step away from that boy.” A vein in her forehead pops as her face turns a shade of purple, but with Teddy’s thumb rubbing against my hip, I feel stronger than ever.
“No, Mom,” I say, and then I do the ballsiest thing I’ve ever done. “And unless you want me to cause a scene in front of all these people”—I wave my arm around the room. Mom’s eyes widen in horror—“you’ll let me leave with Teddy tonight and won’t try to call me until I get home on Sunday.” I glance at Teddy, and he nods, brushing a kiss to my temple.
“You’ll regret this, Morgana,” she says and turns her back, storming off in the direction of the bar.
I sag against Teddy’s hold.
“I’m so proud of you, baby,” he says, ushering me toward the exit. “For just now, for graduating… but did you really have to try to dive off the stage once you got your diploma?”
My legs stop moving. “What?”
His smile is magnificent when he turns, pulling me into his chest. “What? Like I was going to miss my girlfriend’s graduation? I was in the back—didn’t want your parents having a meltdown if they saw me there—but I wasn’t going to miss it.”
“You were there?” Shock doesn’t come close to how I feel, knowing he came to see me.
He kisses my forehead. “I’ll always be there, Ana.”
Oh, my heart.
“Now come on. Let’s get you to New York.”
Chapter Eighteen
Teddy
“Teddy, please slow down.” Ana giggles as I tug her the couple of blocks to the restaurant I booked. Glancing at my watch, I don’t slow down. Fuck Juliette Adler for making us miss the train by seconds with her “you shall not pass”bullshit. Ana is an eighteen-year-old woman now. She can make up her own goddamn mind about who she will and will not spend her time with. Not to mention, she’s myfuckinggirlfriend. Plus, we had to drive across town to get home so she could pack a bag and change her clothes, which didn’t help.
Ana grabs my wrist with her other hand, her shoes slapping along the sidewalk.
“Teddy, I can’t keep up with you. Please say we’re almost there.” I come to an abrupt stop, and she slams into my back. “What the—”
She peers up at the sign to Alimento and then down to the large front window. The place looks packed; every table, as far as you can see, is filled with couples or families enjoying their Friday night dinner.
“Sorry, baby. Our table is booked for eight, and we’re cutting it close.”
