Page 58 of Lost in the Current of You

But he didn’t even hesitate. Not a question or a stutter in his move as he guided my face closer before dragging his lips across mine. I sunk into his world and under his spell, feeling his heart beating under the fingertips I pressed against his chest as he held me to him. It was the sweetest pull of every beat in my heart. I could feel the whirl of emotions he poured into me with that kiss, but it was too much to isolate just one.

Stomping footsteps had us pulling apart quicker than the kiss had even started, and I yearned to pull him back.

I busied myself by taking my food out of the microwave, which I hadn’t noticed had finished, while Reece stuck his head in the fridge just as Nate rounded the corner of the kitchen. He stretched his arms up, tapping the top of the doorway as he walked in, completely oblivious to the moment that had transpired just seconds before.

“I’m starving. What are you guys eating?” Nate groaned as he dropped his arms and walked over to Reece, looking over his shoulder.

I felt Reece’s gaze shift over to me, but I avoided looking at him. I couldn’t look at him as the guilt in my stomach gnawed at me. No matter how nice it felt to be in his arms in the dark, I knew it would come back to bite me.

But I couldn’t handle losing what we had because of that. I couldn’t handle losing him.

22

I woke up to a text from my mother and could tell it was begrudged, like someone had talked her into it — most likely my dad.

I think I need to make up for the way things ended on Christmas. Meet me at Riverside Upscale Restaurant at 6 p.m. tonight. I’ll send an Uber for you.

In typical mother fashion, it’s an order, not a suggestion. However, she had never offered transport to me. She always expected me to make my way through the busy city which made me super nervous. Especially when I had just got my license, she stopped picking me up from the house because it was ‘too much of a pain to drive back and forth’ for our scheduled weekends when I was in school. I used to have Nate, but this past year I’ve had to catch Ubers.

One condition Dad set when it came to custody was that Mum had us on the weekends. He said that we needed a mother in our lives, but truthfully, I would have been okay without her. I would have rathered that than the way she treated us.

I just wanted to breathe.

Dread built low in my stomach as the sun dwindled behind the buildings and night slowly set in. Knowing the restaurant was one of those upscale places she preferred, I wore one of the dresses I reserved especially for these occasions. It was this floral piece of blues, oranges and whites with puffy long sleeves and a shape that hugged my figure to my waist before flowing halfway down my calves.

Just as I was applying the final touches to my makeup, Mum texted me to let me know the Uber was there to pick me up.

I grabbed my things in a rush, throwing them in a handbag as I slid my feet in a pair of sandals with the smallest heel and rushed down the stairs. I gave a quick air kiss to Dad and then I was in the Uber, travelling towards the inner city.

Traffic was busy as it typically was around five o’clock in the evening and usually I hated it — hated the stop and start and the people weaving through lanes — but I was thankful for the extra time it gave me before meeting my mother.

I pulled out a pair of earphones I had tucked into my handbag and I allowed myself to sink into the soft melodies, tuning out the thoughts in my head.

It was easier to escape, to let myself be pulled in by instrumentals lulling in my ears, forgetting the real world.

The car came to a complete stop all too soon though, and I opened my eyes to this low-lit restaurant with elegant Victorian-style features. It almost made me want to throw up.

I thanked the driver before making my way through the doors, clutching onto my handbag as if it was my lifeline. Greeted by the hostess, she ushered me through the restaurant until I spotted Mum at a table right next to the window overlooking the river. It was beautiful really, the view. I couldn’t blame Mum for liking this place. The lights glinted off the water and the bridge in the distance, lit up with a dull blue light.

Unlike our last dinner, as soon as she saw me approaching, she stood and held my arms to press a kiss to my cheek. It was stiff still, but I never expected that kind of affection from her. The most I had ever gotten from her was a barely-there, robotic hug when I was six. It was odd, to say the least.

“Come. Sit.” She waved a hand to the seat across from her. I did, placing my bag over the back of the chair closest to the window and folding my hands on my lap so she couldn’t see my fidgeting.

She cleared her throat. “Would you like a drink?”

I nodded with a tight-lipped smile. “Sure. Just a lemon lime bitters is fine.”

We sat relatively silent while we waited for our drinks and I stared out at the river, watching the ripples rock the water.

When the drinks arrived she decided to dive right into the reason for her request to see me.

“I know my actions on Christmas were unacceptable and I should apologise for that,” she started, and I held back an eye roll. It definitely was not a straight-out apology, but it was the closest thing I’ve heard from her. “But, I just want what’s best for you. I don’t want you to throw your life away, or spend it doing something temporary.”

My nose scrunched as I furrowed my brows.

“Throw my life away? Just because I have different aspirations to you, doesn’t mean I’m going to throw my life away, Mum. I just finished high school, I’m not even a full-fledged adult yet. Can’t you just let me breathe for a moment?”

She folded her hands above the table as she leaned forward with a pinched expression. “Dakota, you’re eighteen. You’re not getting any younger. You need to get ahead before it’s too late. You can’t just sit on your ass and hope opportunities just fall on your lap while you hop from one hobby to another. It’s not practical.”

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