Page 45 of Lilly

"What plans?"

"Mom and—I mean, Rachel and I are going shopping and to a spa." I slipped and called Rachel 'mom' which was a huge mistake, one I've never made before. I'm always cautious and make sure to use Rachel's name when talking to my mom.

"That woman is NOT your mother!" she says in a shrill tone. "Don't you EVER call her that! Do you understand me?"

My heart is pounding now, and my chest hurts. I feel like I'm having a heart attack. This is what my mom does to me. Just the sound of her voice has my palms sweating, my heart racing.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I can't meet you next week. Maybe you could come some other time."

Rachel walks over and whispers, "We don't have to go."

But I want to go. I was looking forward to it, and I'm not ditching Rachel for the mom who doesn't even act like a mom; who doesn't care about me and constantly criticizes me and puts me down.

"Lilly, you ARE going to meet me there on Wednesday and that is the end of this discussion."

"I told you, I already have plans with Rachel."

"Which you are going to cancel. Because you are going out with ME, your mother, not your father's whore."

My anger surges. "She's not a—" I can't say it with Rachel standing there. I can't even believe my mom said it. She never uses bad language. It just shows how angry she is right now. She hates not getting her way, and she hates Rachel, so I get why she's mad but I'm not backing down.

"Mother, I need to go. Have a nice Fourth of July." Then I push 'end' on the phone and set it down, noticing my hand is shaking.

Rachel puts her arm around me. "Honey, I'm sorry she makes you so upset."

"She demanded I go to L.A. to meet her next week. She didn't even ask. She didn't care that I already had plans."

"Maybe you should just have dinner with her. I could drop you off at her hotel and pick you up later."

"I don't want to see her." I raise my hand up, which is still shaking. "Look what she does to me after just a few minutes on the phone."

Why my mother even bothers to talk to me anymore is beyond me. I don't dress the way she wants me to dress. I don't act the way she wants me to act. I don't take part in the high society life she wants me to live. I'm not dating the right guy, or going to the right college, or doing whatever else she wants me to do.

In her eyes, I'm a complete failure. A disappointment. So why hasn't she just given up on me?

Chapter Ten

Garret

"Hey." I chase after Ethan as he runs in the house. Damn, he's fast. So is his brother, flying past me before tripping over his feet and falling straight to the ground. He lets out a loud cry and I snatch him from the floor, whipping him up in my arms and making sure he's okay. "You're good," I tell him, kissing his cheek. His crying immediately stops and he reaches toward the floor, fussing until I set him down.

We're at my parents' house for the annual Fourth of July party. We got here this morning and have spent the day in the back yard. Mom set up some games but the kids have spent most of the day in the pool. They inherited my swimmer genes and love to be in the water.

For lunch, Dad grilled burgers and hotdogs and Mom set out about a million side dishes. For dessert she put out cookies, brownies, and an ice cream sundae bar, which the kids devoured. Now it's late afternoon and they've burned off most of their sugar high and are ready for more.

"Cookies!" Miles yells, running up to his brother.

Ethan is at the kitchen table, standing on his toes, his arm outstretched trying to reach a bag of cookies.

I laugh. These two crack me up. I'd never been around twins before having Miles and Ethan so I wasn't sure what to expect. Before we had them, my mom, who is also a twin, kept telling me twins share a special bond and will often mimic each other. So far, I've found that to be true.

Although Miles and Ethan love their older sisters, they have a different relationship with their sisters than they have with each other. I swear sometimes the two of them talk without even speaking. And they're constantly mimicking each other, doing what the other one is doing, wanting what the other one wants. Ethan is more of the leader. He was born first so is technically older. It's almost like he knows that, which is why he takes charge and assumes the leadership role.

Like just now, Miles was pushing a ball around in the back yard with Abi while Ethan was chasing Hannah. Then all of a sudden, Ethan darted to the house. Miles wasn't even looking but he must've sensed his brother was on the move, because he stopped playing ball and his eyes went searching for Ethan, and when he spotted him, he took off in a sprint, following me in the house.

"Daddy, we can't reach," Miles says, his arm straining toward the bag.

"I got it." I take the bag and hand them each a cookie. "Just one. That's all you're getting."

---