Page 70 of Just Enough

She laughed through her anger. “You’re making me more than crazy!”

“You’re making me a nervous wreck!”

“You’re making me lose my hair!”

“I’m not getting any sleep because of you!”

“Well,” she huffed. “I’m not either.”

We were both breathing heavy. Her cheeks were so red, and her eyebrows were slanted. This was getting too out of hand. I really wanted to kiss the holy hell out of her. Us yelling at each other was only making it worse.

“Shit,” I muttered, running away.

______

“What are you doing here?” Mom handed me a cup of tea I didn’t want. I grabbed it and sighed but left it sitting on the table we were at. I was at the house because I didn’t want to hang out with anyone that required me to be good company.

“I’m exhausted,” I told her.

She frowned. “I can see that. Not work-related, is it though?”

I smiled. “No, work’s great.”

“Emily then?” She sipped her tea casually.

“Don’t start talking about her, Mom. You know I can’t stand when you start bad-mouthing her.”

“So it is her then.” She took another sip of tea.

I sighed. “I can’t hold it in any longer… I love her, and I want to be with her.”

Now she was the one that sighed. “Why does it have to be the wild one?”

“She’s not wild. I think deep down even you know that. She’s a great person, Mom. So what? You don’t like her because she snuck out with her boyfriends in high school? You don’t like that she trusted me enough to call me when she needed someone?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Why? Is that so bad? You’re my son. I want someone as good as you are.”

I blew a frustrated breath. “Emily’s amazing, Mom. If you’d just get to know her.”

She turned her head. “You sound like your father.”

My mood brightened. “Dad said that?”

“Yeah… As much as I hated it, he started hanging out with her dad while you were away, so he spoke to her a lot too.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose it is good that her dad straightened up. He looks a lot better.”

“Well, you’re in luck. Emily will never see me as anything more than her friend. She’s got it in her head that I coddle her. I don’t coddle, I protect. It’s different and manly.”

Mom’s jaws tightened. “What do you mean she only sees you as a friend? No one can look at my Benny and not see how handsome you are. You’re a catch.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wow, that sounds so amazing coming from my mother.”

Mom looked off into the distance as if she was contemplating something. “I’m good at getting that girl to listen… Should I talk to her?” She looked back to me.

“NO, are you crazy?” I asked her. “And what do you mean ‘getting her to listen?’”

She shrugged her shoulders, dismissing me. “Still, I don’t believe that. She’s always had that smile about her toward you that always ruffled my feathers.”

I covered my eyes. “Ah, fuck. Is it sad that I wished you were right?”

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