Page 157 of Pucking Matt
We hang up the phone, and I have a smile plastered on my face as I get into the shower. Everything about Matthew is...perfect. I’m nervous even thinking about him.
Am I in love?
Maybe.
Possibly.
Probably.
Chapter 36
There's something about Amber that defies explanation. It's not just the sex. It's the way we fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle you didn't know was incomplete. When we're together, the world seems to fade into the background, leaving only us in sharp focus. It's more than attraction or compatibility – it's a sense of rightness, as if I've found a home I didn't know I was searching for. With Amber, I'm not just myself; I'm the best version of myself. And somehow, I know with a certainty that surprises me: what we have isn't fleeting. It's the kind of connection that really doesn’t have an expiration date. I’m on cloud nine as I take the stairs to the lobby. Everything about Amber lures me in, and I already can’t wait to get back up to the room.
I spot my mom in the lobby— the woman who hasn’t made it easy for me. Her standards for me have always been through the roof, and it’s time that I stop considering what she wants and consider what I want. Her perfectly manicured nails tap away at her phone, and I’m already annoyed because thistalkshementioned over text is going to be about Amber. There’s nothing she can say to me that will make me change my mind because my mind is already made.
The scent of her expensive perfume hits me before she even looks up. When she does, her face breaks into a smile.
“Hi, honey,” she says, pulling me into a hug. Over her shoulder, I see James waiting for her new Mercedes in the valet area.
“Good morning, Mrs. Holmes,” I reply smoothly. It makes her smile. She’s such a romantic.
She adjusts her designer blazer. “So, I'm going to make this fast.”
“Okay,” I say, already annoyed. My mind drifts to Amber, wishing I was still tangled up in her sheets instead of here.
My mom glances around, lowering her voice. “I only recently settled the divorce with Jaysen.” Jaysen is Grey's dad. “Because the first attorney I had was not working out. We've been legally married all this time.”
I nod, clenching my jaw. “I know, Mom.”
Her perfectly shaped eyebrows shoot up. “You know?” She pauses, confusion clouding her features. “Amber told me that she didn't tell you.”
“What?” I'm baffled, my heart rate picking up. “What does Amber have to do with this?”
My mom takes a step back, her heels clicking on the marble floor. “How do you know?”
“Grey.”
“Oh,” she says.
The frustration that's been simmering inside me towards her finally boils over. “Do you know how shitty it was to hear it from Grey? He’s kept that hanging over my head, and my own mom couldn’t tell me the truth. It explains all of your sneaking around and catching you with Jaysen.”
She has the decency to look a little ashamed but quickly covers it with a practiced explanation. “Matthew, the courts want people to stay married. We had to give it some time, but in the end, we still agreed to file for divorce.”
I run a hand through my hair, exasperated. “That's your excuse for keeping me in the dark all this time?”
“No, it's not an excuse,” she says, her tone clipped.
I'm beyond listening now. “You got what you wanted. A divorce – and what? Twenty grand from Jaysen. Then you meet a new guy who seems to have it all. He's buying you cars, buying you brand name things–” I gesture at her purse, knowing full well it costs more than her heels. “And for what?”
Her chin lifts defiantly. “So that I'm taken care of.”
I shake my head, disappointment settling heavy in my chest. The lobby suddenly feels too small, too suffocating. I need to get out of here, need to talk to Amber and figure out what the hell is going on.
I take in the lobby, the gleaming marble floors reflecting the morning light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The air is thick with tension, and I can feel my patience wearing thin with each passing second.
“Money isn't everything, Mom,” I say, my voice low and controlled despite my frustration.
She tilts her chin up, her eyes flashing. “It sure is when you don't have any.”
