Page 82 of Grease Monkey
He’s quiet, and I can hear him breathing down the phone. “Okay, then. I’ll see you soon.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Teddy
“Finally, my baby remembers me,” Mom coos, and I cringe.
“Mom, I’m twenty-seven. Hardly a baby.”
“Oh, hush, you’ll always be my baby,” she says, her voice full of love and adoration I can feel through the phone. “So, tell me, what’s new? How’s the garage? How’s Oscar? Did he get the care package I sent?”
“Yeah, he loved it. Thanks for mine too, Mom,” I say sarcastically as she did not, in fact, send me a box full of instant mash, sunscreen, a five-pack of socks and other crap like she did for Ozzy.
“Well, it made you call me, didn’t it?”
I itch the back of my neck, feeling guilty that I haven’t called my parents in a couple of weeks. “Sorry, Mom, I’ve been… busy.”
“Busy, huh?” she asks, thick with innuendo.
“Not like that, Mom.”
“Then like what?” I’m silent for a beat too long, because she says, “Teddy? Tell me what’s happened.”
“What makes you think somethings happened?”
“Mother’s intuition. Now spill.”
Inhaling, I turn and lean against my workbench, pushing a hand into my overall pockets. “Morgana’s in Phoenix.”
Now it’s her turn to be quiet.
“Oh.”
“Yeah…” I say, looking at my work boots.
“How is she doing?”
“She’s engaged.”
Mom sighs. “Yeah, sweetie, I heard. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay.”
“Bullshit, Son. Don’t think we’ve forgotten that day when she ripped your heart in two and made you leave,” says Dad, and I roll my eyes as I realize Mom must have the call on speaker.
“Miles,” she chastises.
“What? It’s true,” Dad replies. “Always knew that girl was trouble.”
“No, you didn’t. You thought she was just as sweet as I did. If I recall correctly,youwere the one who thought it would be a good idea to try to push them together.”
“I think you’ll find that was your idea, Sadie.”
“No, Miles…”
“Hey, hey!” I shout, stopping them mid-argument. “If you two are just going to talk between yourselves, I’m gonna go. Morgana’s going to be here any minute to get her car, and I—”
“You’re fixing her car?” Dad asks, and I can practically see his eyes bugging out of his head.
