Page 108 of These Pucking Boys: Part Two

“It’s okay. We’re here now. Everything is going to be fine.”

I narrow my eyes. My father is a practical man, so his comment is odd, to say the least. How does he think their presence is going to fix anything?

“I cannot believe this,” Mom blurts out.

I turn and see that her attention is fixated on Jake, Lachy, and Ryan sitting on the couch.

“Mrs. Summers—” Jake starts, standing up.

“Don’t youdareto address me.” Mom’s nostrils flare, then she looks at me. “How could you have these men here? Have you no shame?”

“They’re my boyfriends,” I grit out. “I want them here.”

“Boyfriends?” Dad rubs his face. “It’s worse than I thought.”

My spine becomes tense. “Yes, Dad.Boyfriends. It’s not that unusual.”

“Not unusual in Sodom and Gomorrah!” Mom retorts.

“I love them, and they love me,” I fire back.

“It’s true, Mr. Summers. We’re in love with your daughter,” Ryan chimes in.

From the corner of my eye, I see Katrina toss back a shot of tequila. I regret not accepting her offer.

“What did I tell you, Mark? This filthy town corrupted our daughter. We should have never let her move here and live with her boyfriend, unmarried.”

“So would you rather I be married to that asshole and stuck in a soulless relationship?”

She clutches her pearl necklace. “No. I should have seen the signs. If he didn’t want to marry you before you moved here, henever would. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”

“Sheesh, it’s been a while since I heard that one,” Katrina mutters.

“I’m not going to discuss my past choices with you. I don’t regret moving to LA and living with Bill. I don’t even regret staying with him for that long, and do you want to know why? Because if it weren’t for Bill’s duplicity, I wouldn’t have met them.” I point at my wonderful boyfriends.

“The fact that you think that’s a good thing is the root of the problem,” Mom retorts. “But that’s it. You’re clearly not able to make sensible choices anymore. Your father and I came here to pack your things. You’re moving back to Baron with us.”

I wince, blinking my eyes fast. “Excuse me?”

Dad puts a hand on my shoulder. “We’re only thinking about what’s best for you, dear.”

I shrug him off and step away. “You have no idea what’s best for me. I’m not going anywhere with you, least of all to Baron. I’m sorry you wasted a trip.”

Mom’s eyes almost pop out of her skull. “You don’t have a choice. You’ll do as we say.”

Katrina laughs. “Are you guys for real? She’s a fucking adult.”

Mom presses her hand against her chest. “I can see now June’s been under terrible influences for longer than I thought. I never make mistakes judging people, but I clearly made one with you. You’re a bad influence.”

“Oh yeah. I’m the worst.” Katrina fills another glass with tequila. “Here, June. You look like you need a drink.”

I so want that shot, but not while my mother is shooting daggers with her eyes at my best friend. She’s always had a short temper, but I’ve never seen Mom so enraged.

Jake, Ryan, and Lachy are standing by the kitchen, and much closer to me now. They’re tense, ready for a fight. It must betaking them an enormous amount of self-control not to speak their minds. I walk around my mother and join them. Lachy touches my shoulder, and Jake and Ryan hold my hands. My parents miss nothing. I can’t read Dad’s expression, but Mom looks like she’s going to have an aneurysm.

“I’m right where I belong. The video was an unfortunate thing that happened, but it doesn’t change how I feel about Jake, Ryan, and Lachy. I love my life here in LA. If you can’t accept me or my relationship with them, then I’m afraid I have no room for you in my life.”

“You’re upset and don’t know what you’re saying,” Mom replies in a calmer voice. “We’ll be staying in LA until Monday. Use that time wisely, June. If you choose your sinful life in LA over your family, you’ll have to live with that choice forever. You’ll be dead to us.”

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