Page 76 of White Hole

“Yeah.”

I grasped him around the neck. “I love you, George.”

“I love you, my princess.” He swatted my butt. “You took my cock in your ass like a pro.”

“What other firsts have you had with me?”

He washed my hair as I soaped his chest. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before. I’ve never shared the stars with anyone.” He tilted my chin up. “I’ve never been in love.” He sucked my lips into his before we rinsed off.

The following day, George tried to contact the internal affairs department about the video we took of Gianna, but no one gave it much consideration. George said he was going to try something else, and we discussed what we would do if no one listened to us. Fortunately, Gianna had not contacted him or his brothers in the past week.

We devised a strategy for how we would handle things together. Finals were almost upon us. Between all the studying and setting our plan in place, we were both exhausted. Despite our hectic schedules, I still wanted to do one more errand before the holiday party.

“This is where she lives?”

“Yeah.” George parked the truck in front of some dilapidated apartment building. I’d asked him to introduce me to his mother. I felt calm and hopefully wouldn’t kill her. “You don’t have to do this. I’m okay with you never meeting.”

“No, Iwantto.” His eyes met mine. “I’ll be civil, I promise.”

“Sins, you don’t have to be.”

“For your sake, I will.”

We walked up the rusted, metal grated stairs to a wooden door. The place looked like it had been a motel back in some bygone era. George pulled out a key to let us in. A ripe, dank smell of rotten food and mildew greeted us as soon as the door opened.

“Mom,” George walked into the main room of the studio, and I followed, passing a small kitchenette that seemed to be the source of the odors. A frail woman in her forties sat in a recliner with an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth. She was sleeping in front of an older TV. Her eyes fluttered open, and she grimaced.

“I don’t want you here—” As I peeked around my boyfriend’s back, she stopped. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Mom!” George yelled, running hands through his long hair.

“I’m Kinsley, your son’s girlfriend.”

She settled back in her chair and lit the cigarette. “Yeah? You don’t look like much. You—”

“Idon’t look like much? Lady, you’re in dirty clothes and an even nastier apartment, watching a blank screen with a cigarette hanging out of your mouth, telling your beautifully caring oldest son you don’t want him here.Youdon’t look like much.”

“George, you going to let her talk to me that way?”

George smirked, but kept his mouth closed.

“George doesn’tletme do or not do anything. I do what I want. He won’t be coming over here tofixyou anymore. He deserves better. Better than you ever gave him, that’s for damn sure.”

“Listen here, little girl. I gave him birth. He only took my life away from me, the ungrateful bastard. Just like his father, he is—”

“George is nothing like him! He is kind and protective, intelligent, capable... He has taken care of you even when you treat him like shit.” I moved closer to her chair without realizing and George took a step between us. I peered around his big body at her crinkled face.

“You don’t even know him! Think you know everything, don’t you? Think you’re smart. George, why even show up here with her? The two of you deserve each other.”

“Mom, don’t say a bad word about Kinsley. That was my only warning.”

“Oh, so she needsyouto stick up for her, huh—”

I interrupted. “No, I don’t. I am smart. And we do deserve each other. Youneverdeserved him. He’s done with you.”

The woman burst into tears and wailed. If I wasn’t so shocked, I may have felt bad. Maybe even apologized. I glanced at George. His nostrils flared and his face burned red. Her tears didn’t seem to be a manipulation.

George put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. “She’s right. I’m finished here. I tried so hard to make you love me until I didn’t even care if you did or not. For a lot of years, I was angry about it, but now, I just don’t give a fuck. When I gave up caring, this woman found me. She loves me, and I get the privilege of loving her. Goodbye, Mother.”

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