Page 37 of Tutored By the Smart Girl

Adison:Yes. Just as I got there, I saw you carrying her upstairs. To the bedroom I assume.

Rush: She was totally wasted. She literally collapsed in my arms, and I carried her upstairs to the den. Will and her friends worked with her to get her sobered upand I left. I wasn’t going to stick around for her drama. I’m not interested in her anymore.

Adison: She sure seems interested in you. Why didn’t you call me when you got home from the party?

Rush: I fell asleep watching TV and when I woke up, it was almost two. I’m only interested in YOU. I love YOU. I’m not with Evie anymore.

My stomach groans and twists. I set the phone aside and it buzzes a few more times with incoming texts. I ignore it and plop my head back on my pillows.

Mom taps on my bedroom door and cracks it open. “Are you napping in here?”

I sniffle. “No, just resting.”

Mom sits down on the bed next to me. “You feeling good? You’re not overdoing things at school, are you?”

“No, Mom. School is fine and I’m handling all my activities.”

“And you go to all your appointments like you should?”

I nod. “I do.” I grasp my mom’s hands in mine. “The doctor says I’m doing great, you know.”

“Is something on your mind?”

I smile softly. “It’s just a guy.”

Mom’s eyebrows raise. “A guy?” She squeezes my hands. “Let’s hear everything about him.”

Over an hour has passed when I get to the part where Rush is carrying his ex-girlfriend up the stairs.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Mom shakes her head. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Mom taps her chin with her index finger. “Is there any way there could be a reasonable explanation?”

I shake my head. “It seems like we’re always running into her, and she flirts with Rush.”

Mom pats my leg. “She sounds like trouble.”

I gaze at the ceiling as a fat tear rolls down my cheek. “He was kind and thoughtful.” I wipe the tears with the back of my hand. “And I love him and he’s still with his ex-girlfriend.”

“You know if I could make everything right for you, I would.”

I believe many moms would make everything right for their children if they could.

I smile. My mom is the sweetest. “I know.”

“Being home for this break will give us a chance to talk, catch up, and have some fun together, and it will also give you a chance to think about what you want. What do you want from your relationship with Rush?”

I sit up on my bed and put my pillow on my lap. “What was Dad like when you first knew him? How did you know he was the one you wanted to marry?”

Mom chuckles. She bites her bottom lip and her forehead wrinkles. “Well, we met in college. He was just starting his senior year and I was a junior. We were both studying business, as you know.”

Mom crawls across my legs, fluffs the pillows, and leans against the headboard— her posture matching mine.

“What was he like back then? Did he always drop the ball on everything like he does now?”

Mom taps her chin with her index finger. “I wouldn’t say your father grew up in a super wealthy home, but he never wanted for much. His parents absolutely doted on your dad and Uncle Ray. They were raised to believe they could do no wrong.”

I rub my fingers across the pillow I’m holding.

“They seemed to be a perfect family. It was ideal for Stan and Mary. Their sons did everything right— never any trouble in the family. Never any trouble with Dad or Ray. After we got married, we didn’t wait too long before we decided to start a family. I remember the day I told your dad I was pregnant with you. He was beyond thrilled.”

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