Page 40 of Before We Were Us

“Pussy,” I mumble.

“Jensen,” my mother scolds me. “If you ask me, you’re the pussy.”

Everyone shifts their attention to our mom who just came out of nowhere with a reversal of the Jensen insults.

Jenna covers her laughter and Naomi actually smiles proudly at our mother.

“What?” She looks around the table then settles on me. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I can’t seem to form a word.

Myles holds out his hand to fist bump our mother only she doesn’t reciprocate.

“From what Naomi's told us all this woman you met is sweet as pie and nothing like the crazy bitch you made the mistake of marrying. You should have held on tight and if that meant confessing your mistakes then damn it that is what you should have done.” I only stare at the sweet woman who raised me.

“Amen!" Na adds, raising her hand in the air as she lifts her wine glass with the other and takes a drink.

“If I were you I wouldn’t be sitting here pouting about how I screwed up. Instead I’d be out there trying to find every single way I could to clear things up and make things right.” My mother takes a huge drink of wine and then fills her glass more. Apparently I’ve made my mother feel the need to drink more heavily than usual.

“I’m giving her time,” I add.

“Like I said.'' I glance back to my mother just as she mouths the word pussy. And yes it's an insult directed at me, but I still find myself feeling proud. Also, she isn’t wrong. I should have told her from the start and then fought harder for the chance to have something with her.

I’m standing at Connor’s door, holding a bottle of whiskey and a twelve-pack of beer. I can hear him moving around inside and the echoes of a woman’s voice too. I don’t feel one ounce of guilt for interrupting his evening.

When he opens the door and I lift the contents I’m holding he looks back over his shoulder. “Sorry, but we have to cut this short.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.” He jerks his chin toward the door. “Time to go, Kim.”

“It’s Kate.” The brunette narrows her eyes at him as she grabs her jacket off the back of his recliner.

“Yeah, Kate,” he corrects. “That’s what I meant.” The woman looks like she is seconds away from committing a crime and not feeling any remorse.

She calls him an asshole as she storms out, shoulder checking me. This is the second time one of his scorned lovers has practically taken me out. The sounds of her heels click the entire way toward the elevator.

“Come on in.” He chuckles. “I need to lock this door.”

Thirty minutes later we are half a bottle of whiskey and two beers each in.

“Myles was loving every second of it, because for once I was the bad guy.”

Connor sits opposite me, both of us feeling real damn good.

“I had to endure the lecture of all lectures.”

“Which sister?” he asks and I choose to ignore the fact that I know something happened with him and Jenna at some point. I’m sure it was only once, maybe twice, but the idea makes my stomach tighten up.

“Both of them,” I finally replied. “They’re now a team.”

“Haven’t they always been a team?”

“Yeah,” I take another shot, “but now more than ever.”

“I bet that was hell.”

“Mom joined them,” I add as I lower the glass and it clicks against the granite countertop.

“Your sweet little mother?”

---